Yocun's Story
by vinny2
Summary: A hundred years before Yuna's pilgrimage, a Crusader embarks on her journey. Yocun and her guardians travel Spira in hopes of reaching Zanarkand and defeating Sin. But there is corruption brewing in the Crusaders as well. Can Yocun stop both threats?
1. Apprentice

Chapter 1: Apprentice

It had been a long day, but Yocun felt it had not been quite long enough. Since sunrise, Yocun had been in training. Actually, since before the sun had even begun its day, Yocun was already taking down the nocturnal fiends that ran rampant in the Calm Lands. Yocun did not let her endurance bother her. She couldn't afford to let such a minor thing bother her with her journey coming soon.

Yocun was a summoner, charged with the task of vanquishing Sin, the bane of Spira. For years, Yocun had fought Sin as a member of the Crusaders, even having control of her own regimen of troops. A year prior, however, Sin came a little too close to Macalania, Yocun's hometown. It was then that Yocun could see the futility of the Crusaders' mission. She knew she needed to do more.

Not long after the event, Yocun spoke with the priests at Macalania temple and began her training to become a summoner. Lady Yocun proved herself to by a very difficult student.

Summoners generally come from a religious background, or are at least familiar with many of the practices that the clergy does. Most are monks or priestesses prior to becoming summoners. Yocun set a record for being the first Crusader to become a summoner. On top of that, Yocun had little knowledge coming in about the duties of the clergy, and she did not wish to cloud her mind with such trivial matters.

As a matter of fact, Yocun found many of the duties charged to summoners and other members of the clergy to be a waste of time. In her first lesson, Yocun was given a staff to use. Yocun immediately returned the staff, citing its unfamiliarity. The clergy at Macalania Temple insisted that she use it, as it was required of a summoner to use a rod. Yocun continued to refuse to use the rod, and began to research the history of using rods to build a defense against using it. Yocun found that the use of a rod for a summoner's purpose was mostly traditional. As long as an item in magically inclined, it can be used to perform general summoner tasks such as summoning aeons and sending the fallen.

After a while, the clergy conceded defeat, but then challenged Yocun to find a magically inclined item that she could use as its replacement. They reminded her that her answer had to match her previous argument: that the rod was unfamiliar. Therefore, any item that was equally as unfamiliar could not be selected. Yocun had only wielded one thing in her lifetime: a sword. Yocun found numerous different documents than gave slightly different definitions of the word "magically inclined" until finally finding out its root in an old scroll that had been forgotten in the temple library: "Weapons having been blessed by an ordained member of the Yevon clergy is considered to be magically inclined." With this knowledge, Yocun demanded that her sword be blessed.

That was not the only part of the summoner's training that Yocun found pointless. Yocun found that learning white magic was essential to becoming a summoner. Yocun refused to learn white magic. The clergy argued that such a dangerous and perilous journey would require someone with skills of a white mage, but Yocun found more textual evidence that a white mage was not required, only recommended. Once again, the clergy had no choice but to relent to her decision. However, they made it perfectly clear to her that they reserved the right to cancel her training if they found it necessary. Yocun took that as a threat, and did not change her decision.

Unbeknownst to her, the clergy began to take steps in canceling her training. Specifically, Yocun had purposely put off selecting anyone to serve as her guardian. She was never close to anyone growing up, and she only saw her comrades in the Crusaders as coworkers. When she announced that she was becoming a summoner, almost every single Crusader that served under her offered his or her service as guardian. They were all the same to her: soldiers with the same training she had, only less. What would they bring to the pilgrimage that she couldn't already do?

That is how a rookie soldier named Barton managed to make himself stand out amongst the rest. Barton lived in Macalania, but never knew Yocun until he met her as a Crusader. Barton was immediately smitten with her and did everything he could to stand out among the rest, but he never did. His skills with a sword were less than average. Some would even say pitiful. Barton considered his chances of being selected slim until he overheard a conversation between the monks at the temple, about how Father Zolono had already filled out the necessary paperwork to cancel Lady Yocun's training simply on the basis that she refused to study white magic.

Instinctually, Barton jumped into the conversation and asked if she would be able to continue her training if she had a guardian proficient in white magic. The monks discussed it and agreed that it would be allowable for one of Yocun's guardians to be the team's white mage rather than her. Barton took a leave of absence from the Crusaders and began to take the lessons in white magic that she had forgone. Once the clergy deemed Barton had learned enough white magic, Barton approached Yocun with the news that they were planning to cancel her training and that the only way to prevent it from happening was to take him on as her white mage for the party. Yocun accepted immediately, realizing that she had put off selecting her guardians for long enough.

The day had come. There was no more training. There was no more preparation. Yocun was ready to become a summoner, but she was still filled with the heart and energy of a warrior. To the last day, she continued to train near the sunken cave on the northern most point of the Calm Lands. On the day her pilgrimage began, she was there, instead of at the Calm Lands where the Crusaders awaited her. "They're waiting for us," Barton said impatiently. Barton had prepared for the day differently than Yocun had. He shaved, he got a haircut, and he purchased a new set of clothing and armor. Being equally as unfamiliar with a rod as Yocun had been, Barton had a pair of fingerless gloves blessed for the purpose of performing white magic.

Yocun, however, was still fighting the fiends in the area until they finally learned to stop coming at her. They would never win. "Are we done? I'd really like to get on the road now. If we leave soon, we can make it to Macalania before nightfall."

"You worry too much, Barton," she said as she holstered her weapon. Yocun had the ability to soothe the soul with her smile. He walked over to Barton and grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him further down towards the sunken cave. "Do you know the story behind this cave?"

"Yes, I do," he replied. "Somehow, I think I caught onto it from the million times you told it to me."

Yocun ignored his reply. "Legend has it that a thief broke into an ancient temple and stole the fayth from inside. His objective was to prevent summoners from being able to complete their pilgrimages, so that their terrible fate does not befall them at their journey's end. Barton, I want to see that fayth."

"That fayth doesn't exist," Barton assured her. "It's a myth and like all myths before it, it's not actually true. People have gone down there and found nothing."

"They haven't searched it well enough."

"When people try to do that, they don't come back."

"I don't always follow tradition," Yocun replied. "Come on. They're waiting for us." Barton followed Yocun out from the ravine and across the bridge towards the large expanse known as the Calm Lands. Even from a distance she could see a large regimen of Crusaders waiting to bid her good luck on her journey. She didn't want a parade waiting for her, but she knew she would get it.

As soon as she and Barton were in view, troops on chocobos began the fanfare. Yocun sighed and blushed in embarrassment. She continued to walk forward and as she did, the fanfare grew. She began to wonder if the entire army had come out to see her off.

At the forefront, she could see a woman waiting to greet her. She was Silva, captain of the Djose Chocobo Knights. On top of that, she was Yocun's second guardian. Yocun did her best to ignore the fan fare and greeted Silva. She wore light armor similar to what Yocun wore. Yocun and Silva were actually very similar in appearance. Yocun wore her hair longer, just passed her shoulders, and was a blonde. Silva was a red-head and her hair was barely noticeable passed her helmet. It only came down to right above her shoulders.

They shook hands. "Lady Yocun. It is good to see you again."

"Likewise, Lady Silva."

Silva had nothing else to say. She had a habit is simply turning away when she felt the conversation was over with. It wasn't rude for her. It was just practical. The fanfare suddenly shifted direction. There three of them looked to see an elderly man in priestly garments come walking down the aisle. They all recognized him as Maester Dammen, leader of the Crusaders. Even in his old age, Dammen was known for his skill. Had he not been a maester, Yocun would have asked for his services as guardian before anyone else.

He came forward and stood directly in front of Yocun. Yocun and her guardians bowed. "You are only a few hours away from become a full-fledged summoner. Do you have what it takes to defeat Sin?"

Yocun slowly drew her blade and held it as if ready for battle. "Yes. I will defeat Sin."

"Then I am to assume the two standing at your side are your guardians?"

"Yes."

"Then I would like for you to present yourself as well as your guardians, so that the Crusaders can recognize who will be the next vanquishers of Sin."

Dammen motioned for the fanfare to cease. Yocun stepped forward, with the eyes of hundreds of Crusaders, Chocobo Knights, and even many civilians upon her. "My name is Yocun. I am an apprentice summoner from the city of Macalania. One year ago, I made a conscious decision to leave the Crusaders and become a summoner. Now, my training has ended. I will pray to the fayth at Macalania, receive my first aeon, and become a full-fledged summoner." The crowd cheered for a few seconds. She continued as the noise died down.

"With me are two people I will trust with my lives. Barton. Please step forward." He came over and stood next to Yocun. "Sir Barton, I would like for you to become my guardian. Do you accept?"

"Lady Yocun, I accept."

"Silva. Please step forward." She came and stood on the opposite side. "Lady Silva, I would like for you to become my guardian. Do you accept?"

"Lady Yocun, I accept."

Once again, the cheers and fanfare restarted, but Yocun's eyes were keen on something else. She saw swift movement coming from the East. It didn't look like any fiend that was common to the area. She would know, having trained in the area for years. "Silva," she whispered. "Do you know if Sin has been in the area recently?"

"There was a sighting about two days ago," Silva replied. "It did not attack, so not much precaution was taken. Why do you ask?"

"I saw something move. Fast. Too fast to be an ordinary fiend. I think it might be a sinspawn."

Silva slowly moved her hand behind her shoulder to grab the spear she had holstered on her back. She kept it in hand, but did not remove it. "I do not see it."

"It's hiding," Yocun remarked. "There are too many people here. Sinspawns seem to be getting smarter these days. It's going to wait until the party dissipates. It can't attack anyone while they're all grouped together like this."

"We need bait, then," Silva whispered back.

"Barton!" she yelled. Barton had been speaking with a Crusader only a few feet away. Her turned and smiled at the Lady Summoner. "Barton, I need you to do a favor for me." He smiled again, indicating he was willing to accomplish whatever task she needed of him. Yocun whispered again to Silva. "How good is your aim?"

"Impeccable," she replied without hesitation.

She turned back to Barton. "Okay. I need you to take a few steps back."

Barton nodded and began to walk backwards slowly before stopping after a few steps. "How's this?"

"Farther," Yocun yelled.

Barton nodded and continued to walk backwards. He stopped again. "How about this?"

Yocun shook her head. "Just keep going until I tell you to stop." Barton sighed and continued to cautiously move backwards. With each step, he took an even smaller piece of movement until he was just barely inching away. He was getting tired of moving. The entire company was a good distance away and he could barely make out the people, much less what they were saying. He couldn't even tell is Lady Yocun had told him to step yet. He was probably too far to hear her.

He stopped. Just as he thought. He couldn't hear her. Was she even saying anything? She was. She was talking to Silva. What were they talking about? If he didn't find out soon, Barton was going to start walking back. He would give them the benefit of the doubt for a few more minutes.

He could see Silva slowly take out her spear. None of the other Crusaders took any notice to it, or at least they made no notable reaction to it. Barton was staring at it intensely. As a guardian to an apprentice summoner, Barton felt it was his duty to be aware of everything around him.

He wasn't doing a great job of it so far.

As he paid attention o Silva's spear, the ground below him began to shake. He wasn't able to move, having planted himself in the position for far too long. The ground directly behind him opened up and the creature, a sinspawn with four arms, blue fur and a menacing snarl that would back even the more feared of men shiver in fear, came up with a deafening roar that caught everyone's attention. Silva was passed the point of attention. The spear was already in the air as the sinspawn's arm was coming down on Barton, the spear pierced it, causing the creature to fall back in pain.

Finally, the Crusaders were catching on. "Sinspawn!" someone yelled. "Crusaders! Ready! Attack!"

Now, hundred of Crusaders had their weapons at the ready. "Wait!" came a new voice. It was at this point that Yocun realized there had been someone, a young blond man with a twisted, yet sincere smile standing next to Maester Dammen. He had been there the whole time, but Yocun was finally noticing him. "The Lady Yocun and her guardians noticed the creature and did not find it necessary to inform the rest of us. I suppose the Lady Summoner thinks she and her guardians can handle the situation on their own. Maybe we should allow them to do so."

"This is not the time to test the summoner's strength, Maldus."

"Perhaps this is the best time," Maldus replied.

"I accept Sir Maldus' challenge," Yocun interrupted.

"This it is settled," he replied. "If things are to get out of hand, then I will have a regimen at the ready to come in and save you, should you need it."

"I will not," she said, "but thank you." Yocun bowed and drew her sword. Barton was still at the far end of the Calm Lands, watching the creature as it desperately tried to get the spear out from his hand. As he tried unsuccessfully, Yocun arrived and immediately impaled him on the side with her sword. The creature appeared injured but at the same time, appeared to have become even angrier.

The situation seemed tense. Yocun feared pulling the sword from his side. It would only infuriate him. Silva could not attack. Her only spear was lodged in the creature's hand. Barton had nothing with which to attack. They had to do something, but had nothing with which to do it with.

"You ran into battle unprepared," Maldus said. He was now standing next to Silva, much to her surprise. "You're at a stalemate and can not figure out any way to pull yourself out. It's quite a conundrum, really."

"I will figure this out," Yocun replied.

"Figure it out quickly. That Sinspawn will not remain idle for long. I will have my men mobile within the next minute. It is better for you to lose your dignity than your life, right? Well, I suppose that one is debatable."

"I will figure this one out," she repeated. The creature was still motionless, but it was evident from his eyes that he was not intent on staying that way forever. She spied the spear lodged into the cavity of his lower left hand, and came up with the only solution she had: Retrieve the spear by healing the hand.

"Barton. I need you to move in closer and heal his hand. Keep your distance, but I need you to do it so that the spear comes free. Silva. Stand ready to retrieve it when it comes loose."

"Yes, Lady Yocun," they said together. Barton inched forward, with more reservations in his face visible than he wanted to show. As soon as he was close enough, he began to pray. "Okay. Yevon. I know that healing a sinspawn isn't exactly your forte, but it's actually good in the long run. You understand, right?" As he spoke nonsense to himself, the hand gradually healed and the spear gradually came free.

The last tip popped out, and Silva ran and caught the spear before it even hit the ground. She rolled out of the way, just as the creature slammed his fist onto the ground. It had sat around idly long enough. Silva jumped back, dodging another slam onto the ground.

"His hide is thick," Silva observed. "If we stab, out weapons are likely to get stuck in his hide. The best course of action would be more of a slashing motion." With the creature already irate, Yocun withdrew her sword and jumped back to dodge the counterattack. She nodded in agreement with Silva and began to slash at the hands whenever the creature tried to grab or slam his fist down. Eventually, the creature ceased using the injured hands and began to use the auxiliary hands. Soon, these were in the same inured condition as the previous.

Yocun was tired, noticeably breathing heavily. Barton came from being her and began to heal her, muttering nonsense as a way to keep calm. The creature could not move. Silva stood next to Yocun. Together, they lifted their weapons and impaled the creature in the chest. It growled one last yelled before collapsing and disappearing into a flood of pyreflies.

Tired, the three returned to the group of Crusaders, who were nothing short of impressed. "The Apprentice Summoner has vanquished the sinspawn!" one yelled. "If she can do that as an apprentice, just imagine what she'll do once she gets an aeon!" came another. "And when she gets the final aeon? They'll be no stopping her!" "The Calm is near! I can almost taste it!"

The only person not cheering was Maldus, his twisted smile gone. "You did well," he said, "but you acted irrationally. Your pilgrimage will be cut short if you continued to battle like you did now."

"The sinspawn has been defeated," she said. "I see no problem in what I did."

"Your actions are a surefire was to get to the farplane, and fast," he chided.

"Oh come on," Barton intruded, "You're just jealous that you didn't get to send your troops in to defeat the creature. You're just mad that we're so good that we did it ourselves." Maldus did not reply.

"I hate to interrupt this conversation," Silva said, "but night will be upon us in a matter of hours. We should get moving if we wish to get to Macalania Temple before nightfall."

Yocun nodded. "Well, Sir Maldus, it has been a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you again."

"I pray that meeting does not occur in a morgue, Lady Yocun," he replied bitingly. He bowed to her sincerely and walked off.

"What's his problem?" Barton questioned. "Anyways, it's not our problem. Our goal is to get to Macalania Temple and to get that aeon."

"Yes," Yocun replied. "Our journey begins. Sir Barton. Lady Silva. Are you ready?"

"Yes Lady Yocun," they replied.


	2. Deadline

Chapter 2: Deadline

They weren't going to keep following, were they? They couldn't. They wouldn't. Yocun and her guardians had entered the Macalania Woods. It was a quick journey through the woods to reach the Macalania Temple from their locations at the foot of the Calm Lands, and yet many of the Crusaders had persisted in trying to follow the team into the woods. It wasn't their pilgrimage and Yocun was feeling crowded, even if they were doing a fine job in hiding amongst the trees.

Yocun, as well as Silva, knew they were there. Both women had received the same training, so they knew what to look for. Barton received the same training as well, but he never managed to utilize those skills, having passed basic training with one of the lowest scores possible. Barton didn't see the Crusaders hiding in the trees.

"Are they bothering you?" Silva asked. Barton made a confused grunting noise, no longer following the conversation, as if he ever was.

"It will become a distraction when we near an area with more fiend activity. So far it has been light. The fiends are not attacking, and so I don't feel like provoking them at this moment. Later, it will become necessary to do so, and I don't want to have my mind distracted."

"Yeah," Barton commented. He just really wanted to comment so it looked like he was a part of the conversation. Even though the girls knew he was lost, he didn't realize that they had already realized it. "I notice that the fiends aren't attacking. They're just laying there. They can see us. I know it."

"The fiends can see a losing battle when they see it," Silva explained. Now her voice had become a bit preachy, and it was a tone both of the other party members were acquainted with. Silva loved to give lectures on topic that she believes are common knowledge, and demonstrated her condescending tone to anyone she felt was uneducated.

"Most fiends have what we would consider to be a set of instinctual responses similar to that of our own. However, the pyreflies which make up the creature give it an almost supernatural ability to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of its surroundings. Fiends do not have a brain like us or even like animals, but the pyreflies work as like a system of impulses that mimic thought and reason."

"However," Yocun interrupted, "The pyreflies do not always succeed in realizing the best course of action with the conclusion they receive through reasoning. My example is in front of us. It is a fiend known as Murussu, one of the many armored enemies that inhabit Spira."

"Armored fiends are very common throughout Spira," Silva explained.

"You don't have to talk to me like I'm an idiot, Silva. I know that."

She continued as if she hadn't heard him. "Many contemporary scholars believe that the type of fiend that is created when pyreflies unite depends on the spirit of the person who died without the proper sending. These scholars believe that the traits held by the fiends were once held by the human. The data comes from research into both fiends and aeons. For example, common thought amongst scholars is that armored enemies were once armored units in battle, perhaps the heavily-armored defense infantry of the Crusaders."

"That's all well and good but none of that information helps us get rid of the thing that's blocking our path to the temple. What do you have to help us with that conundrum?"

"I would recommend a swift slashing motion vertically like so," she said as she quickly sprinted forward in the direction of the fiend. As the other two watched, Silva stopped inches away from the fiend and drew her spear. Murussu tightened itself in preparation for the hit, but the upward slashing motion proved to be the best as it came through its defenses and easily allowed the spear to impale the creature. Murussu immediately hit the ground and dispersed into pyreflies.

Barton stood in surprise, an emotion he tried to keep hidden from the girls. A Crusader isn't supposed to be surprised by such mundane eliminations of fiends. In reality, Barton had never killed a fiend in his life, not that he was going to tell the girls that.

"Shall we proceed?" Silva asked.

"We shall," Yocun replied.

The trio kept walking and as they did, several of the Crusaders walking with them along the path began to return to the Calm Lands. A few devoted soldiers maintained on the path, but the population had decreased dramatically to the point that even Barton could tell that something had changed, even if he still could not place his finger on it. The girls laughed silently to themselves as they continued down the road. Macalania wasn't too far off anymore.

Night was approaching soon, and Barton placed all of his attention on whether or not they would make it to the temple before nightfall. Macalania lived in perpetual snow, but the nights hit temperatures far below freezing that it was considered an evil more powerful than Sin. Even the most experienced of men have been known to fall victim to the cold nights of Macalania. If they didn't make it in time, they would have to camp in the woods, which remained relatively warm due to its isolation. Barton didn't want to have to camp outside, even though he knew it would be inevitable at some point.

"Iguion," Yocun said to break the silence. Silva nodded as Yocun slowly drew her sword. Barton lifted his hands in preparation for battle, but he wasn't seeing what it was that needed to be fought. All he saw were trees.

"It's on the tree," Silva said as she pointed directly in front of the group. "It's a field known as Iguion, a lizard-type fiend that's known for its agility and ability to blend in with its surroundings. Scholars believe that lizards are created by the souls of common criminals: thieves, pickpockets, and others of the like."

"Because of their ability to steal without being caught, right?"

"You're catching on, Barton," Silva complimented.

Yocun tuned out the conversation behind her as she eyed the Iguion on the tree just as it was eying her. Soon enough, the Iguion pounced and launched directly towards Yocun. She drew her sword and impaled the creature mid-jump, causing it to disperse into pyreflies almost immediately.

"One well-placed strike is enough to kill most lizard fiends," Silva explained. "The only problem is that it's often difficult to place a hit. I dare say even I am not swift enough with my spear. Only Yocun is fast enough with her sword. It is imperative to strike them before they strike you. Lizards have been known to cause status ailments, depending on their habitation."

"What do the Macalania lizards do?"

"Silence and petrify," she said calmly. "Petrify is a horrible little status ailment. Slowly but surely your body starts turning to stone. It happens gradually, but it happens. There is medicine known as soft that cures it, and hopefully you have already learned the appropriate white magic spell to cure us in case of such status ailments."

"What spell would that be?"

"Esuna," she replied. "Please tell me you've at least heard of it."

"The name rings a bell," he replied.

"Please learn it," Yocun implored. "Petrify is nasty, because it doesn't actually kill you. Your body turns to stone, but your internal organs are still working. You're alive, trapped inside a statue of your own skin. It's not the petrify that kills people. It's the starvation or the dehydration or the hypothermia that kills people when they're out in the woods alone and have no remedy. Please learn the spell, Barton."

"Yes, Lady Yocun," he said with a shaky bow.

"We're not far from Macalania now," Yocun said. "I think most if not all of the Crusaders have already left us alone."

"Crusaders?"

"Yes Barton," Silva replied. "A whole regimen of Crusaders had been following us ever since we left the Calm Lands. I bet on the orders of Sir Maldus. Whoever he is, it would appear that he does not trust us with the duty that has been handed to us."

"My question is why he bothers to take such an interest in my pilgrimage specifically?" Yocun interceded. "I am by far not the only summoner currently on a pilgrimage. There are many other summoners, most of which grew up in the church and understand the rules and regulations or the pilgrimage as well as the duties and responsibilities of a summoner. I'm kind of just learning all this as we go along."

"Perhaps it is because you are unique in your background that he has taken an interest in you," Silva said.

"I don't like it," Barton opined. "Doesn't he have better things to do? He seems to be good friends with Maester Dammen. If he works for him, then he's probably a Crusader. Well, he might be a Warrior Monk, but why would a Warrior Monk be interested in a Crusader? Aren't they supposed to be the elite defense of the capital? We're just uneducated grunts to them, right?"

"Perhaps he sees more in Lady Yocun," Silva said.

"Or less," she replied. "You saw the way he yelled at me in the Calm Lands. We took down a Sinspawn and he couldn't even find room for a 'good job' or a 'congratulations,' anywhere in his rant. He couldn't even throw in a 'praise be to Yevon.' So much for being pious. Maester Dammen should be more selective in who he keeps in his company."

"Ok," Barton said. "Even I think we're being too hard on the guy. After all, we just met his today."

"That's what bothers me, Barton," Yocun explained. "I've known Maester Dammen for years. He's more than just a superior to me. I consider him a friend. I know how he's conducted his business as Maester, and I know all of his friends and confidants. For someone like Maldus to come in and act as Dammen's closest advisor leads me to suspicion. Who is he? Where did he come from?"

"How about we deal with one last problem in from of us before we make it to Lake Macalania," Silva said. The group turned forward. Floating front of them was a beautiful Blue Element, primed to attack the group.

"I know my elements, Silva," Barton said before she could say anything. He knew she was going to, and she didn't say otherwise. "Blue elements are water based. It can control existing water as well as manipulate the element in order to create more water. Elements are resistant to melee attacks, but are weak to apposing elements. In this case, water is weak against lighting."

"You've learned something," Silva commented. "I'm impressed, but what would really impress me is if you had a way out of this situation. We could turn back and find another path, but we will likely not make it to the temple before nightfall in that case. We can fight through, but out melee weapons are of little use. What do you suggest Barton?"

"We fight through. Silva, I have a Lightning Marble in my pack. Take it and place it on the element. I will cast NulTide to protect you." Silva was once again impressed, but she didn't say anything. She simply walked over and pulled the marble from Barton's bag. As she inched closer to the element, the moisture in the air began to accumulate. The water resting on the leaves of plants and trees began to levitate closer to the element. "Transpiration," Yocun noticed. "The element is collecting the water from the trees and the soil. It's basically creating a cloud and manipulating the rain in order to use it as a weapon."

"Looks like it's my turn to do my job," Barton said before readying himself to pray. Closing his eyes and extending his arms toward Silva, he shouted, "Yevon! Shield us from watery woe!"

A protective blue shield immediately surrounded Silva as she moved in closer. The absorption of water had ceased and now it was firing out like arrows, splashing heavily on the shield as if they were nothing. Silva simply continued to approach without fear as the element continued to attack fruitlessly. Barton kept his attention on keeping the NulTide on as Silva finally reached the element and calmly placed the marble on it. The marble began to blink, indicating that it was active.

"Get out of there, Silva!" Barton commanded. "NulTide only protects you from water. I can't protect you from the lighting blast!" Silva nodded and immediately jumped back. Barton released her from the protection of NulTide and took Yocun to seek shelter behind a tree. Silva immediately found another tree to hide behind as the Lightning Marble activated, sending a wave of electricity through the element and sending bolts of lighting flying through the air. When it was over, the party looked passed the trees to see that only a swarm of pyreflies remained where the element once floated.

"Our path is once again clear," Yocun noticed. "Thank you for bringing the marbles, Barton. I had overlooked our lack of a black mage in our party. Unless we meet a black mage on the road or one of us learns black magic, having a good supply of marbles will be beneficial. Perhaps even gems. I hear they are expensive if you find them, but gems are ten times more powerful than marbles."

"We have about an hour of daylight left," Barton said. He had no interest in carrying on a conversation about marbles and gems. In all honesty, he had overlooked the lack of a black mage, too. He simply bought a little of everything before leaving the Calm Lands.

"It's all about time with you, isn't it?" Silva inquired. "Luckily, I can see snow. The end of the forest is near. We should be approaching the frozen path over the lake. At that point it is a twenty minute walk to the temple. We have time to rest."

Yocun nodded and took a seat on a rock. Silva rested against a tree. Barton's jaw dropped. The exit was readily visible and they could be in the temple in less than half an hour, but the girls wanted to rest. Barton just wanted to get to the temple, but he knew it wasn't his decision. He took a seat against another tree facing where Lady Yocun had sat.

"Don't fall asleep, Barton," Silva ordered.

"What's the itinerary?" Barton asked of Yocun.

"It's fairly straightforward unless something odd arises. After Macalania, I will have become a full summoner. We will cross the Macalania Woods once again and exit at the Thunder Plains. That will take us to Guadosalam. We will leave that place quickly. I have heard nothing good of the Guado. They're not as bad as the Al-Bhed, though. Then we cross the Moonflow and pray the temple at Djose. We continue south passed the Mushroom Rock Road. It will be good to see the Crusader post there. Then we travel south along the Mi'ihen Highroad until we reach Luca. If I am correct, we should arrive there during the season, so we may be able to catch a game, depending on our situation. Then we hit the island of Kilika and pray at the temple before we hit the temple on the island of Besaid. Then we charter a boat back to Bevelle and pray at the temple there. Then back through the Calm Lands, up Mt. Gagazet, and finally at Zanarkand."

Barton nodded silently. He wasn't entirely sure why he had asked. He knew he wasn't going to remember much of any of that after a few minutes had passed, but he felt compelled to ask anyways. After a few minutes of silence, Silva was the first to stand. "I think we have rested enough. Don't you agree, Lady Yocun?"

She stood promptly. "Yes. You're right. We should get to the temple now."

"Finally," Barton said with enthusiasm as he took the lead and began to march out of the woods and into the frigid winds that permeated through Macalania. Barton wasn't wearing much in terms of thermal clothing, but the cold did not visibly affect him. Neither did it seem to affect Yocun. Both of them had grown up in Macalania. Silva, however, had never stepped foot in Lake Macalania and was not expecting such a drastic change in temperature from the woods to the lake. She stood for a few second in at the entrance trying to defrost herself before catching up with her comrades.

"There isn't much here except for the lake," Barton told Silva as soon as she caught up. The temple is the main reason anyone ever comes here. There is a town just down the hill from the temple, but most people see little reason to visit. Passing merchants and summoners spend their nights at the temple." Silva wasn't showing in response that expressed she was listening to a word Barton was saying. She was simply to cold to move her body more than need be.

Barton, with much enthusiasm, leapt over a boundary of snow and onto a sheet of ice. Yocun gladly leapt behind him. Silva looked at the boundary for a few second before deciding to find a quick way to walk around it. She caught up to her comrades about five minutes later. They begrudgingly waited for her.

"The cold isn't getting to you, is it Silva?" Yocun asked with concern. Silva simply shook her head. It was too cold to speak. Yocun nodded understandingly and took the lead as the continued to march to the temple.

"Just a few more minutes," Barton said with glee. "Hey, Lady Yocun. I know we already talked enough about him, but I just wanted to ask one more thing about Sir Maldus."

Yocun nodded. She didn't want to continue speaking about him, but she was willing to listen to one more question.

"If he's close to Maester Dammen, then that means he might have the power to end you pilgrimage. He might deny you entrance to temples and you'll never be able to get the final aeon without first getting all the other aeons."

"It don't care what Sir Maldus's angle is," she said, burning with ire. "He will not impede my pilgrimage. I will fight my way into the temple if I have to."

"How much are you willing to do that?" Silva interceded.

"Why do you ask?"

"You may have to start now," she replied.

Yocun and Barton were too into their conversation to realize that they had arrived at the temple doors, but also to realize that the doors were frozen solid with a block of ice that was several feet thick. Yocun looked at the door. No amount of fire marbles, at least no amount that could fit in Barton's bag, would be bale to blast through it. She didn't bother asking. She looked at the windows. They were just as frozen. She looked up. One window on the west side of the temple was unfrozen, a good thirty feet from the ground. "I know how we're getting in, but you probably won't like it."


	3. Gillespie

Chapter 3: Gillespie

Silva had a pretty good feeling for what Yocun's plan for entrance was. She took a few steps back and looked at the available window. "We should have rope," she said. "We're going to tie it to the end of her spear. We're going to climb to that large ridge and throw the spear from there and impale it on the temple wall. From there, we slide down and go in through the window."

"You're right." Barton replied. "I don't like the idea." Silva simply nodded. Standing at the entrance was the warmest she had felt since the woods, and she wasn't entirely interested in heading over to the ridge.

Silva took the lead of the group as she tied rope to the end of the spear that Barton had in his pack. Assuredly, she took hold over the side of the ridge and began to climb up. Even through gloves, the cold was getting to Silva. Barton was coming up behind her. His gloves were thinner, but they did not appear to be bothering him in the least bit. Worst of all, Yocun wore nothing on her hands as she climbed up, and she was climbing the fastest. Despite starting last, Yocun was the first to reach the top. Silva managed to catch up and Barton, although the cold did not bother him, still did not find need to rush and came up last.

"All I have to do is impale the side of the temple with my spear, correct?" she asked of Yocun.

"Yeah, but you don't have to say it like that. It sounds so sacrilegious, like we're coming in through the window to rob them or something." Silva just nodded. She took hold of the spear, but found that the wind chill was inhibiting her ability to maintain a steady balance and a good aim. Yocun could tell and even Barton was taking notice.

"Shell," Barton said quietly. Suddenly, the winds around Silva began to die down, allowing her the ability to aim. "I'm not sure if this does anything to help, Silva. It's really only supposed to reduce damage from an elemental attack. I don't know if it works on nature."

"It's working," Silva replied. She hurled the spear at the temple, impaling it just above the window.

"Perfect," Yocun replied. She took her sword and held it over the rope. She held the handle in her left hand and carefully took hold of the blade with her right hand. Then she leapt off of the ridge and quickly slid down the rope. She lifted her feet and broke the window as she came to a stop on the windowsill on the inside of the temple. She saw exactly what she expected to see: A teenage girl on one end of the temple squaring off against a bald man at the other end of the temple.

"Yocun," Barton called from the ridge. "We don't have anything fancy with which to slide down. Is there any way you could defrost the front doors for us from the inside?"

"Yes," she called back. "Go to the front door. I'll have it defrosted in a few minutes." Yocun turned her attention to the action below her. Everyone else in the temple had taken their places behind statues of previous religions leaders and high summoners. The image of two acolytes hiding behind the statue of Lord Ohalland sent a smile to Yocun's face. Directly below her, the teenage girl was beginning to sidestep to the left. As she did, the bald man at the other end began to sidestep to the left as well.

Yocun watched as the girl stopped walking and raised her left hand. She held it in a fist for a few second before opening it. A wave of flames escaped her palms and fired straight at the bald man. He didn't move. He moved his hand in front of him and the flames bounced back at the girl. She almost reacted too late. She dove down just in time. Now she was really angry. She screamed with an incredibly shrill voice and manifested a knife made out of ice and began to charge the old man. She attacked, but the man stepped to the side. Every time she came in for an attack, he proved to her that he was much faster than her without even trying all that hard.

She swiftly changed her mode of attack and sent a wave of water splashing everywhere until the entire floor was flooded. She immediately returned to her ice blade and tried again. The man was apparently not aware of what the teenage girl was planning with the water. As soon as he tried to swiftly sidestep another attack, he slipped and slid across the temple floor. He looked up to see the girl hanging off of one of the statues, readying a lighting spell.

"What did he do this time?" Yocun called from the windowsill on which she sat. Everyone looked up to realize for the first time that the apprentice summoner was sitting on the sill. She waved at everyone below her before gracefully finding some footing on which to climb down. She stepped onto the flooded floor and the teenage girl ceased the lighting attack. "Well? What did Father Zolono do to you this time that led to all this mess?"

"Why don't you ask him?" she retorted before sticking her tongue out at Zolono. Yocun walked over and helped him off the floor. He wrung out his robe before facing Yocun. "Lady Yocun, Gillespie is fourteen years old. She will be fifteen very soon and if she wishes to become a respected member of the Yevon clergy, then she must begin studying for it."

"Hello?" she interrupted annoyingly. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to be a priestess? I'd rather do something cool with the rest of my life. Fighting fiends! Playing blitzball! Mastering black magic!"

Zolono sighed. "I will not hear of such things, and for the last time Gillespie, black magic is not against the teaching of Yevon. Arcane magic is. You would know that if you spent any time studying, which you should be doing now. You promised."

"And that's why we're arguing!" Gillespie shot back.

"You arguments have gotten a little bit more violent since I was last here," Yocun remarked.

"Well of course they have," Gillespie said. "You always managed to calm them down when you were here. Then you went off and became a Crusader. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that you were able to do what made you happy, but it kind of put me in an odd position here. Speaking of which, didn't you go off and become a summoner, Yocun?"

"It was a little bit more intensive than that, Gillespie," she replied. "I'm back to the temple to pray to the fayth and receive my first aeon. After that, I will become a full-fledged summoner."

"Doesn't a summoner need guardians?" Gillespie inquired.

"Well of course. A summoner is no good without guardians. I wouldn't go anywhere without my guardians. Oh—. Gillespie, I need you to defrost the door so my guardians can get in."

"Oops," she said. Gillespie turned to the door and focused on it for a few seconds. They could hear the ice cracking and breaking from the inside. When it was all over, the door slowly came open. Silva walked in first, taking a deep breath of the warm air and not even noticing the wet floor. Barton kept as far away from the water as he possibly could.

"Gillespie, right?" Barton inquired.

"Hey, I know you. You're that dummy with the funny-looking stubble."

"My beard doesn't grow in evenly and I didn't have a chance to shave that day! Am I ever going to live that one down?"

"Nope," she said with a smirk.

"Okay," Yocun said calmly. "Now that we're all acquainted with each other, I think it's time for us to do what came here to do. The Cloister of Trials awaits us. Barton. Silva. Are you ready?"

"Hold on!" Gillespie interceded. Her shout sent Barton almost tripping over himself into the water. Silva remained stoic. "Yocun, you can't just go in. You just got here. If you go in now, then you'll leave first thing in the morning. Then you'll be off on your pilgrimage and you won't stop until you reach Zanarkand. And then, well, you know what happens. I won't be able to see you anymore, Yocun. At least spend the night with me."

Yocun sighed at the suggestion, and then turned to her guardians for their opinion. Silva shrugged. "I have no strong sentiments either way. This one is your decision."

"I agree with Silva," Barton replied.

"Then we stay the night," she replied.

Gillespie's eyes shined with glee and anticipation. "Yay! All right! Now we can stay up all night like we did when we were kids. Well, I am still a kid, but when you were a kid. You know, when you were my age and I was younger than my age. I'm rambling. I'm sorry. Come on, Yocun! We have much to do and only one night in which to do it all in!" Gillespie took Yocun by the arm and led her into one of the side rooms of the temple.

One of the acolytes that had been hiding behind the statue came out and greeted Barton and Silva. "Follow me. I'll take you to your room."

The two began to follow her until they felt Zolono's cold hands grab their shoulders. "They're not done yet. Gillespie made a mess of my temple. Someone needs to clean it up."

"And why does that someone have to be us?" Silva inquired.

"Because this is Gillespie's responsibility, but she won't do it because Yocun always relives her of that responsibility. Then, it becomes Lady Yocun's responsibility. But, seeing as Lady Yocun is preoccupied with other matters, her duties are logically transferred to her guardians. Mops are in the closet to your right. I'd get started if I were you."

Begrudgingly, Barton and Silva began their arduous task before them. At the same time, Yocun was beginning her task as well. Yocun sometimes considered spending time with Gillespie to be a chore. She did enjoy herself, but Gillespie would not relent. Yocun found herself playing with Gillespie for hours on end and she would throw a fit had Yocun tried to leave. Gillespie had always been needy for attention and Zolono had disapproved of the way Yocun gave in and gave her the attention she craved. He believed it lead to her spoiled rotten behavior, which is likely true.

Gillespie was an orphan, one of the many living in Spira due to Sin's wrath. Gillespie came to Macalania Temple when she was only six years old. It was a fateful day when night had almost fallen and the only people still awake in the main hall of the temple were two people: a young priest named Zolono and a teenager from the village named Yocun. Zolono had been recently named high priest of the temple and was still awake trying to organize the temple for his first service the following day. Yocun was ordered to assist him for having misbehaved in school that day.

"_How much longer?" Yocun complained. The teenage Yocun was fairly popular amongst the kids in Macalania. She had a reputation for being somewhat of an anti-hero. She broke rules if she felt they were unjust, and there were a lot of rules she felt were unjust. Sometimes, Yocun would just twist the wording of rules to fit her preferences. That got the teachers even more angry._

"_It shouldn't be much longer," Zolono replied. "I still have to put in an order for the Yunalesca statue, but that can wait for another day. It wouldn't arrive for a few weeks anyways. Yocun, I think it's too dark to return to the town. You can get some rest in one of the empty room of you'd like."_

_Yocun didn't even reply. The items she was holding were on the ground and she was already walking quickly over to one of the rooms in the temple. Zolono watched her walk away until he heard a light tap on the door. Yocun heard it as well. She stopped dead in her tracks._

_Both of them just stood in silence. They couldn't believe that anyone would be outside that late. They just stood, waiting to see if they would hear another knock. Sure enough, it came._

_Zolono immediately bolted for the door and Yocun came running behind him. He unlocked it and opened it to see the young girl, wearing noting but a loose jacket and thin clothing to protect her from the cold barely standing at the temple steps. Zolono immediately picked her up and took her inside. Yocun closed the door behind him._

"_Yocun," he ordered. "I need you to light two of the lamps. Come back with a thermal blanket as well."_

"_I know where it all is," she said. "I'll be right back." Yocun rushed off and Zolono placed the girl on the floor against the wall. She shivered as she sat down and looked into Zolono's eyes. Yocun came running back with the lamps in hand and the blanket over her shoulder. Zolono placed the lamps on either side of the girl and wrapped her in the blanket._

_Slowly, the little girl began to stop shivering. The color was beginning to come back to her skin and she appeared to be breathing normally. Her skin was no longer ice cold and she did not appear to be suffering any frostbite. "She'll be okay after some rest," Zolono said._

_Yocun bent over and looked at the girl. "What's your name? Where's your family?"_

_The girl took a while to respond. It looked to Yocun that she was thinking about her answer. "Gillespie," she said. "And I don't have a family. Not anymore. Sin attacked our ship."_

"_You have a family here with us," Zolono said as he picked her up again. "Now it is time for you to sleep. Yocun and I will stay with you tonight."_

It wasn't just that night. Every night since then either Yocun or Zolono or both would stay with her. Otherwise she wouldn't sleep. Zolono officially adopted her two months after that. Gillespie never talked about her family that much. She said that as time went one she remembered less about them. She remembered that it was her father who piloted the ship that fateful day and that she had a mother and two brothers who perished as well. Gillespie couldn't remember how she survived, either.

As time went on, Gillespie took advantage of the attention she was getting for being the "miracle child." By the time she was nine, she already know how to manipulate others in the temple to do what she wished by playing the pity card. Zolono was the only one who would oppose her. Zolono groomed her to become a priestess, but Gillespie would openly detest such things. Instead, she secretly began to learn black magic as a way to infuriate Zolono.

On one fateful day, a day that Gillespie regretted ever since, she promised to Zolono that she would become a priestess on her fifteenth birthday if he still wished her to be. Apparently, she thought her ability to annoy was stronger than his resilience, but she made that promise five years ago. She was now fourteen and that day was not too far off either. Zolono, after all those years of rebellion, still wished for her to become a priestess and he wasn't going to allow her to back out of her promise.

Gillespie had only one chance at escape. There was one nonnegotiable requirement to be a priestess: celibacy. If Gillespie could lose her virginity before her fifteenth birthday, Zolono would back down. He had to. Unfortunately, being a spoiled brat already scared off all the boys in Macalania, not that she had any interest in them anyways. That was her life now. She had to get rid of it. It was the only thing standing between her and freedom.

However, for one night, she forgot all that and pretended she was a kid again. Spending the night with Yocun allowed her that one night of relaxation, even if it didn't allow one for Yocun. Yocun managed to get some sleep around morning, only to find Gillespie gone when she woke up. In her place stood Barton and Silva, well-rested and prepared to take the Cloister of Trials.

"Gillespie?" Barton asked.

"No idea," Yocun said getting out of bed. "It's nothing to worry about. Gillespie sometimes disappears. She never says where she goes, and since no one really cares it's not a common topic of conversation." Yocun quickly finished getting ready and was the first out the door.

Zolono was waiting for the three by the stairs to the cloister. "Gillespie is not here. I find it odd, actually. I thought she would have been the first to see you enter the cloister to become a fully fledged summoner."

"I don't find it odd," Yocun replied. "She doesn't want me to leave. If she watches me enter, then she knows that I must leave. It's probably too much for her, and you know how she doesn't like to show her feelings." Zolono nodded.

Yocun took a deep breath. Barton cracked his knuckles. Silva did nothing. When they were finally ready, they walked up the steps and entered the Cloister of Trials.


	4. Trials

Chapter 4: Trials

The door shut behind them. Zolono's face was no longer visible. Now it was just the apprentice summoner and her guardians. In a short time, Lady Yocun would officially become Summoner Yocun. It was all that she was thinking about as she came into the Cloister. Barton was feeling a bit preoccupied watching Yocun as she thought about her future. He couldn't take his eyes off her, and it wasn't just because of his crush. Silva, however, was looking ahead. There was nothing in front of them.

"A patch of ice," she said. It seemed to snap the other two out of their daydream. We're dealing with a cloister of trial. It is one of the most difficult duties a summoner and her guardians must venture through. We must stay focused. Please try to stay focused with me. Our first problem is what to do with three walls of ice and one door behind us surrounding us."

Yocun snapped back to attention and stepped in front of her guardians. She placed her bare hand of the wall of ice in front of her and it slowly began to melt, but the form in which it began to melt appeared very odd than regular ice melting. It was melting only in specific places. After a few seconds, the melting stopped, leaving only three holes big enough for all three to fit into.

"Does the cloister expect us to separate?" Barton asked. "Wait? Can cloisters think?"

"Cloisters. Aeons. Fiends," Silva said ominously. "They are all very different and yet basically the same. They are rules by pyreflies and just like I described to you in the woods, the pyreflies gives its manifestation impulses that mimic human thought. Yes, the cloister can think. It perceives that there are three people standing at its entrance and it had instinctually melted three holes, one for each of us. Yes. The cloister expects us to separate. We will not be able to complete this trial unless we do what is expected of us."

Barton sighed and leaned his head into the far left hole. It was a slide the curved to the left, so he was unable to see much. Silva looked into the right hole and found the same thing, except her slide veered to the right. Yocun saw that the middle hole led directly into a room without a slide. The only thing she could assume was that they were elevated, and that if she were to enter the middle room, she would be on a higher elevation that her guardians. Silva and Barton both understood that, but the latter still had reservations about splitting up.

Yocun took the initiative and climbed into the middle room. The wall immediately sealed up behind her. Barton jumped, but Silva remained stoic. "You don't care that out summoner just got locked into a room of ice?"

"I do care, Barton," she replied. "She'll be safe. The cloister would not put her in a danger that she could not get out of. It is up to us to do that."

"We should at least get her out of there."

"I won't do that for a few reasons. Firstly, I don't have my spear with me. I forgot to get it out of the side of the temple wall last night. I assume it's still there. Secondly, even if I had my spear, we'd be breaking the rules of the cloister. It would just get mad, in a sense. Finally, that wouldn't prove anything. If we take shortcuts through the cloister, then how are were expected to defeat Sin?"

Silva didn't give Barton any more opportunity to complain. Immediately after finishing her sentence she leapt into the right hole. Barton, still distressed, slid into the left hole.

Yocun had not heard any of the conversation on the other side of the ice wall. She was surrounded by ice and the room she was given was not enough for her to sit. She kept her nerves calm, but vigilant. Mastering the cloisters was one part of the training that she did take seriously. Injuries happen. Death happens. Yocun studied all of the temples and their cloisters, at least what could be known about them from previous accounts from guardians and summoners. The cloister changes, but it has definitive traits that don't change. Instantaneous ice was one trait that was always prevalent. Macalania spheres placed in specific holes created them.

Injuries and deaths came in two ways. The first was hypothermia. Unless the summoner party was completely inept, it was usually minor. It was caused by a person being trapped in ice and not being freed in time, much like Yocun was. She wasn't afraid of that. She knew her guardians would prevail. It was being skewered by a piece of ice that worried her more. They could pop up at any time.

Barton landed on his feet to find himself in yet another square room. However, in front of him was a wall of ice with a green glyph sphere in a small hole on the wall. "Can anyone hear me?" He yelled.

Silva could hear him. She had landed in her own room, but it had a path way the led straight to a door, a door familiar to her as the door that led to the chamber of the fayth. The pathway did her no good unless Barton and Yocun were with her. "Yes. I can hear you, Barton."

Barton could not hear Silva. The chamber controlled the movements of sound, and it was Yocun who heard Silva's response. "Silva," she said. "I did not hear Barton say anything. Are you with him?"

The sound was traveling in a circle, as Barton heard Yocun's reply. "Hold on," he said. "Silva heard me, but I didn't hear her say anything back. So that means Yocun heard Silva and I heard Yocun."

"Yocun," Silva said, readily understanding Barton's explanation. "I can hear Barton, you can hear me, and Barton can hear you. We must work together to pass this. Tell Barton we both understand and that I am standing in front of a pathway that leads to the chamber of the fayth."

Yocun acknowledged this and relayed the message to Barton. In turn, Barton described his room to Silva, who relayed it to Yocun. Yocun did the same. Yocun said, "Barton, you are the only one in a room with anything useful. I suggest removing the glyph sphere to see what happens. Tell Silva before you do anything." Barton did as ordered and Silva replied her approval through Yocun. Barton took a deep breath and removed the glyph sphere. The path behind Barton opened up and the path in front of Silva closed.

"Okay," he announced. I now have a path that leads to door. "Silva," what's changed over there?"

"The sound is coming to me, Barton," Yocun replied. "Silva. Does that mean the circle has gone around?"

"Yes," Silva said. "Barton. Tell Yocun that the circle has reversed. Yocun can hear you, I can hear Yocun and you can hear me."

"Okay," he replied. "I think I've got it now." Barton began to walk forward down the path, finding two blue Macalania spheres on the wall to his left. He related this to Yocun, who related it to Silva. Through Silva, Yocun told him to take out the left one. This caused the path in front of Silva to open back up again. They checked and made sure that the sounds had not shifted. Silva walked forward and found no Macalania spheres on her side, so Barton took out the second Macalania sphere, opening up a pathway leading down for Silva.

Barton called out, and Yocun heard him. Yocun said something, but it was not Silva who heard her. The sound was redirected back to Barton. "This isn't good," Yocun said. "I don't know if she can hear us or not, but the fact is we can't hear her. She's secluded for now. It's in her hands."

Silva waited for over a minute to hear someone's voice. She stayed calm, and made the rational assumption that the fayth was controlling the flow of sound to the point that she understood that her area was not receiving any sound. She descended into the pathway, finding a Macalania sphere. She had no choice but to take it. She didn't know what else to do. Silva pulled the Macalania Sphere out of its hole, opening a pathway leading down from Barton side. Barton traversed the path to see that it led to the underground room where Silva was. However, a thin sheet of ice separated them.

"Can you hear me?" she said. Barton shook his head. He pointed down to a small hole in the sheet of ice which the sound was not passing though, but was just the perfect size to fit a sphere through. As they spoke, they heard nothing from Yocun. It was her turn to be secluded. Silva signed for Barton to push the glyph sphere through the hole, since putting a Macalania sphere in that hole would have done nothing. He pushed it through and Silva placed it into the empty hole.

The openings that led the two guardians under the ice closed up behind them. However, Yocun's room was finally open in front of her. The path led straight to the door, with the floor being transparent. Below her, she could see her comrades separated from her and each other. She knocked on the floor until she got their attention. Sound was no longer traveling anywhere. She signed for Silva to remove the glyph sphere. The openings behind the guardians opened up again, they returned to the top floor and ever though they could not see each other, they walked forward in confidence that they were all walking in the same direction to the same room with the same goal.

"No offense, but I didn't think it would have taken you have long at it did. I really overestimated you guys." That was the first thing the group heard as they opened their respective doors. Sitting directly in front of the chamber of the fayth throwing a small hacky sack ball into the air was the bothersome brat herself, Gillespie.

"Great," Barton said. "We just started this pilgrimage and we're going to get excommunicated because we broke the most taboo law of all. Only summoners and their guardians are allowed back here, Gillespie! Don't you know how much trouble you're going to get in? How much trouble we're all going to get in?"

She ignored him. She moved to the side of the door as Yocun walked silently to the chamber. "The fayth awaits," Gillespie said mockingly with a smirk on her face directed poignantly at Barton as she bowed her head to Yocun as she walked by as if she were a butler or a valet. Silently, Yocun entered the chamber of the fayth.

"This isn't my first time going through the cloister," Gillespie said. "You think I could have does this so easily without practice? Please. I have years of practice."

"Don't you fear Yevon? Don't you at least respect the teaching?"

"There's a time for piety and there's a time for fun," she replied. "This is a time for fun."

"It's useless arguing with her," Silva finally said. "Gillespie came into the cloister today for an obvious reason. She doesn't want Yocun to leave on her pilgrimage. However, she knows Yocun will not give up her pilgrimage, so she decides that she will tag along. The only way a person can tag along with a summoner is if she is a guardian."

"This brat does not respect the teachings of Yevon! She has no place in this pilgrimage!" he exploded. Gillespie just stuck her tongue out at him.

"She doesn't, and yet she's already secured her place as a guardian on Lady Yocun's pilgrimage," Silva explained. "Since we are sworn by Yevon to uphold his teaching, we cannot ignore this transgression. We must inform Father Zolono. Gillespie knows this rule. She knows all the rules related to the teachings. A Yevon priest raised her after all. Are you following me so far, Barton?"

He nodded his head. "Good," she continued. "She knows that she will be punished, and she knows that the punishment will be severe. However, Yocun also knows that the punishment will be severe and more importantly, Gillespie knows that Yocun knows that the punishment will be severe. We've already seen the lengths that Yocun has gone to and will go to in order to coddle Gillespie and keep her out of harms way. Yocun will do anything to protect the precious miracle child who survived an encounter with Sin."

"And that includes making her a guardian so that her entering the cloister suddenly becomes acceptable and she escapes punishment yet again."

"Very good, Barton. You followed along very well this time."

"We can't let it happen," he pleaded.

"It will happen," she said. "There is no way around it. I admit that I do not like Gillespie's bratty attitude, but we must consider that she is a black mage, and a black mage is something that we are missing on our pilgrimage. The ability to take down flans and elements without spending all our money on marbles and gems will be a much appreciated addition to our team."

"We can find another black mage," he insisted.

"Macalania is bone dry when it comes to fighters. You and Yocun know this. Our next city is Guadosalam, and it's not like the Guado are willing to protect a human summoner. Then we don't hit a real town until Djose. Do you want to wait until Djose to recruit a black mage, or to you want to stomach the brat who, for her age, is very skilled in the art of black magic, or so I've been told?"

Barton would not answer her question out of spite. He just remained silent at the other end of the room. Silva was not bothered by Gillespie's physical presence and kept her position as she anticipated Yocun's completion. Gillespie didn't stand still, but she didn't wader over to where Barton was standing. Barton was not the kind of person to become angry easily, but it was serious when he did and even Gillespie knew not to toy with him in this state.

Hours passed. Barton entertained himself with a game of solitaire. Silva watched him, which Barton did not find odd. Gillespie was the only one who did not have anything with which to occupy her time. The hours seemed endless to her until they finally came to an end and the door to the cloister of trials suddenly popped open.

Yocun stood at the doorway. Her eyes seemed empty and drained. Her guardians, including the pseudo-guardian, had no idea what to do, as they had no idea what to expect. Even Silva stood unknowingly and wasn't hiding that fact from the other two. Yocun took a step forward. They suddenly realized she had her sword in her left hand. Now the guardians were on edge. Yocun lifted the sword in front as if ready to battle. Her guardians, even Gillespie, jumped back in preparation.

Yocun didn't move, and after a few seconds, the gang began to lower their defenses, but not entirely. The sword began to shine brightly. The guardians shielded their eyes until the sword's shine dissipated. They looked to see that Yocun's sword was no entirely encased in ice.

"I've done it," she said. "I have become a summoner."


	5. Escape

Chapter 5: Escape

The enjoyment of Yocun's announcement was marred with the knowledge that upon leaving the cloister with the brat in tow, they would have to drop her at Zolono's feet. Barton had conceded to Silva's explanation of the situation that would unfold once they left the cloister. He partially wished the cloister would create a new puzzle on the way out just to prolong the pilgrimage that only including Yocun, himself, and Silva.

Alas, the cloister created a nice, ice pathway that led straight through the cloister and back into the mall hall of Macalania Temple. In less than a minute the summoner and her party were back in the main hall where a procession awaited them. Zolono stood at the bottom of the steps with much of Macalania standing behind him. The second they step out, the music began to play, the people began to cheer, and the elderly began to pray.

Gillespie was hiding behind the other three, but it wasn't long until Zolono found her. His smile disappeared. Yocun and her guardians only made one step down the stairs before Zolono marched rapidly up the stairs and pulled Gillespie out from behind the others. The procession suddenly stopped in its tracks.

"You have acted egregiously before Yevon your entire life, but your actions go too far this time. You disgraced more than just me today, Gillespie. You have disgraced this entire temple and the people who live and work for it in the face of Yevon."

"Really?" she shouted back. "What are you going to do about it? You never do anything. You punish me. Sure. Only a weakling can't take a little punishment. It doesn't matter what you do because you still think I'm going to be some stupid priestess!"

"No Gillespie!" he shouted back. "This time, you did not just break my rule. You broke the rule of Yevon, and when people break the rule of Yevon, there is protocol that must be followed strictly, rules laid down by the Maesters of Bevelle 900 years ago."

Suddenly, Gillespie's heart sank. She knew what to expect from Zolono, but not what to expect from Bevelle, and Yocun hadn't spoken up yet, as she had expected.

"I do not know what else to do with you, child!" he yelled in the loudest voice as he dragged her through the crowded temple. "Say goodbye to Macalania. As soon as I send word, the Warrior Monks will be here to take you."  
"What? I'm just a kid!"

"Transgressions against Yevon don't make distinctions with age. They will be here soon." With that, Zolono and Gillespie were out the door. The room was left with a somber silence. Barton was mostly relieved. Silva couldn't believe that her assessment was wrong. It wasn't long until the silence was broken. "We want to see the aeon!" a girl standing up front said.

Yocun smiled. "Of course, but not here. Let's head to the village. It'll probably be better if I didn't destroy the building with my first summoning." Yocun led the group out of the temple and into the village down the slope behind the temple. Barton and Silva brought up the rear.

"You were wrong," he said coyly.

"I am human after all," she replied. "I am allowed to be wrong."

"I've never heard you admit that," he said.

"That I'm wrong?"

"That you're human."

"You're funny," she replied. "You know what else is funny. Watching you retrieve my spear. I still haven't gotten it out of the side of the temple." Barton looked up. Sure enough, the spear was still there, completely frozen over from the night it spent out in subzero temperatures. "Go ahead," she goaded. "I will readily admit that without my spear, I am unable to retrieve it. I submit myself to your glory and request your assistance in retrieving my spear."

"Piece of cake."

Down at the village only a minute or so away, Yocun had led the group to the center. They all just stood there in awe, just waiting for her to perform her summoning.

Yocun took the sword out of her scabbard and held it in front of her at an angle. She stood stoic for a few seconds before swiftly slashing straight down and subsequently slashing to the left. Slowly, she moved the sword above her head and began to spin it around. The speed grew gradually and with the speed of the sword came snow and ice hovering around it. Soon enough, the sword was spinning rapidly and the clouds about had completely parted above her. The snow and ice created a cylinder that led from the sword to the sky. Suddenly, Yocun took the sword and threw it straight in the air and it did not come down. Instead, Shiva appeared.

The aeon of ice stood tall at around twelve to thirteen feet. Everything from her body to her scarce clothing was made of ice. The viewing audience could tell that aeons were a part of their summoners, and Shiva bore a sword made of ice with Yocun's sword visible inside of it.

Shiva stood motionless like an ice statue. Everyone else was just as motionless as she. Yocun smiled. Far off, she could see her guardians watching the spectacle from the side of the temple. It took her a few seconds to realize that Barton was still trying to get the spear out to no avail. After all, he was trying to scale the side of the temple with his bare hands.

"You guys want to see her in action?" Yocun asked the crowd. They shouted with enthusiasm. They wanted to see nothing else. "It's nothing fancy, but this should show you what an aeon can do. Shiva! Silva's spear is still lodged into the side of the temple wall. Retrieve it, please."

Shiva nodded and immediately leapt into the air. There was not a single pair of eyes in Macalania that was not trying in vain to follow Shiva's path through the air and finally onto the side of the temple wall gracefully. The sudden appearance of the aeon caused Barton to tumble back into the snow. Silva just stood motionless. Just as gracefully as she had landed, Shiva pulled the spear out of the wall and handed it down the Silva, who immediately slung it into the scabbard on her back where it belonged as it was still frozen to the point that she could not even hold it.

"Thank you, Shiva," Yocun called. "I believe that the crowd has had enough excitement for the day. Dismiss!" Shiva once again nodded silently and leapt back into the air. This time, she did not come back down, but Yocun's sword gracefully levitated down from the sky until it came down into Yocun's hand.

"I could have done it," Barton complained as he came running down the slope into the village."

"You were never really able to do anything physical," a girl said. "Mom thought you were a girl for a while."

"As if you knew how to be a girl, Kaley," Barton called back to her. Kaley was Barton's sister, roughly six years younger than him. Their father died when they were young, but their elderly mother continued to care for them. Now, it was Kaley's turn to take care of her aging mother in Macalania. Kaley harbored a grudge against Barton for joining the Crusaders because she felt she had a better future ahead of her than he did, but she had to stay home and take care of their mother, leaving her future foggy. That was years ago. Kaley was a young woman of twenty-one and had gotten over her anger at Barton, mostly.

"Maybe if I had the Crusader training that you never really learned how to use, I could have gotten that spear down in seconds myself," he replied.

"Don't start with me unless you plan to end it."

"Stop it," Silva ordered. "Your banter bothers me greatly."

Kaley approached her brother. "So you think you can guard Yocun? It's not an easy job, you know. Fiends can get pretty nasty is places you've never explored. Don't underestimate the power of home field advantage when your life is on the line."

"He's only the white mage," Silva informed her.

Kaley grew a wide smile and Barton groaned with anticipation. "White mage?" she said mockingly. "Really? Oh wow. I knew you were weak, but to reserve yourself to be the woman of the group. Even I thought you had a little bit more dignity than that."

"Enough Kaley," Yocun ordered. "I trust Barton with my life and I trust that his duty will prove to be just as vital as my sword or black magic."

"Correction," Kaley interrupted. "You don't have a black mage. Your black mage is getting ready for a one-way trip to Bevelle. When you break Yevon law, you don't come back. Everyone knows that."

"I will not talk about Gillespie. Whatever fate befalls her is the will of Yevon." Yocun's face changed before she walked off to the home that she lived in before joining the Crusaders. Yocun lived alone. Her mother was killed by Sin and she never knew her father. Her mother never spoke kindly of him and told the young Yocun that she was better off without a father like him. Yocun's mother never married any of the myriads of boyfriends she had after that man. Yocun, as far as she knew, was an only child, but she always knew that she could possibly have had numerous half-siblings from the father she never knew.

"What's wrong with me?" Barton asked Silva.

"Let me guess," she replied. "You feel bad for Gillespie now. I know. So do I. Do you suppose we should talk to Zolono?"

"No. Better idea. You talk to Zolono while I sneak her out of whatever backroom he has her locked up in."

"I like that idea, but I think you serve as a better distraction than I do." She replied. Barton begrudgingly accepted her revision of his plan as they reentered the temple. Zolono was there, but Gillespie was nowhere to be seen. Silva immediately made herself scarce as Barton approached Zolono.

"Father Zolono," he began. "I have to say, even though I don't like the brat, don't you think you acted a little harsh on the girl earlier?"

"I figured one of you would come to me with this. I am surprised that none of you said anything earlier. I believe I made myself perfectly clear. Gillespie has transgressed not against me, but against Yevon. I do not like punishing her so harshly, but the rules laid forth by Yevon are rules that I must obey."

"Barton," Silva's voice said. He turned his head slightly to see her standing behind him. "Come on. We have to go. I believe Yocun is ready to leave soon."

"Now?"

"Now," she repeated tersely.

Barton nodded and followed her out of the temple. "Gillespie?"

"She's not in the temple."

"Then where is she?"

"I don't know."

"Then is Yocun really getting ready to leave?"

"I don't know," she repeated, "but if she is, then I know exactly where Gillespie is."

The two guardians returned to the village just as Yocun was coming out of her former home. "Good to see you guardians aren't loafing around anymore. I hope you had fun. Say your goodbyes because we're heading out. The Macalania Woods await us and then we must traverse the Thunder Plains before we even reach Guadosalam. Let's go, guardians." Yocun smiled as she climbed up the hill and passed her guardians. Silva gave Barton a knowing look to indicate she knew where Gillespie was.

"I guess you're leaving already," Kaley called. "You didn't even see mother." Barton opened his mouth with no intention of replying to Kaley's comment. "It's okay," she continued. "Her mind has gotten worse with the years. She wouldn't even recognize you. I wouldn't want your last memory of her to be one of confusion."

"It won't be my last memory of her, Kaley. I'm coming back."

"Okay. Sure." "Good luck," she finally added.

Barton nodded and turned to join his fellow guardians. Silva looked at Yocun, who hid a smile that even Barton noticed. "I think I know where Gillespie is, too," Barton said.

"I believe you have taken notice of the situation very well, Barton. I am proud of you." Silva replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Yocun replied.

"Really?" Silva replied. "So when we approach that white flan inconspicuously next to that snow bank, Gillespie won't pop out to save the day?"

"You know," Gillespie said despondently as she walked out from behind the snow back, "You guys really take all the fun out of breaking out of prison to join the pilgrimage."

"So Gillespie is a guardian now?" Barton asked.

"Well, she has to prove herself first," Yocun said with yet another smile that she was not hiding.

"Let's make this a fair fight," she said as she snapped her fingers. The ice at the flan's base disappeared, allowing it to face Gillespie in a fair fight. Enraged, the flan began to encase Gillespie in a jail cell made of ice. Gillespie chuckled loudly. She placed her hands together until fire appeared. She took hold of the bars until they melted and she casually stepped out.

The flan created a shard of ice in front of it and launched it at the black mage. Gillespie took her hands, still glowing with fire and drew a wall of flames from her feet to her head on which the shard of ice instantly melted. She dispersed the wall of fire and put her hands back together, this time to fire a stream of flames towards the flan. The fiend moaned in pain until finally succumbing to the fire and dispersing into pyreflies.

"Aren't I the best?" she said.

"I believe you are worthy of protecting me," Yocun said in reply. "Gillespie, I would like for you to become my guardian. Do you accept?"

"Lady Yocun, Hell yeah!" she screamed.

The other guardians didn't say a word to Yocun. Silva turned to Barton and stepped closer to him unless her cheek was against his and she was able to whisper in his ear. "I was right. Yocun did protect Gillespie."

"Keep your perfect record, Silva," he whispered back. "Looks like you're not human after all."

She smiled and turned back around to see that the other girls were already much farther down the path leading to the Macalania woods. She picked up the pace in order to catch up with them, suddenly realizing that the cold air was not bothering her as much as it did upon her arrival in the town. Barton and Silva caught up to Yocun and Gillespie. The trees of Macalania Woods were visible.

The first step of their journey was close at hand, but Yocun couldn't take her eyes of the person standing at the entrance to the woods as if to block their path. The other guardians soon saw what the summoner saw as she came closer, and they weren't happy to see whom they saw.

"Sir Maldus!" Barton yelled at him. "What brings you to Macalania? I thought you returned to Bevelle with Maester Dammen!" There was no reply. "Hey! Maldus! I'm talking to you!"

The group walked closer to see that Maldus was not dressed in the former clothes expected of the leaders of Bevelle, but was dressed in a white button-up shirt with snow white jeans. His hair, as well, was as white as the snow on the ground. "What's with the new look?" Barton yelled. Once again, there was no response. Instead, Maldus just took a few steps forward.

Yocun immediately took out her sword and the guardians readied for battle in response to her. "Answer the question," Yocun ordered with her sword pointed out towards Maldus. Once again, there was no reply and he stepped forward even more.

The terse standoff lasted several minutes. No one moved until, for a brief second, Yocun lowered her sword. Maldus sprang alive and launched at punch at Yocun. Yocun lifted her sword just in time to block the punch with the blunt side of the sword and push him back.

Maldus got back up and fashioned a sword of ice out of thin air. "Black magic?" Yocun asked.

"He didn't cast a spell," Gillespie said aloud. "That's not any kind of black magic I know. I looked like he just pulled it out of nothing." Maldus charged Yocun with speed that Yocun was having trouble keeping up with to block. At every interval that she had to counterstrike, Maldus dodged with such ease and precision that he must have had foreknowledge of Yocun's moves.

"Black magic or not, it's still ice," Barton said. "NulFrost!" With his protective spell, Yocun was able to pull back her protective swings and focus on attacking, but Maldus changed easily to defense and blocked every one of Yocun's moves.

"Barton," Silva said. "Can you cast NulFrost on more than one person at a time?"

"No. I haven't mastered that yet. I'm sorry."

"I'm going in anyways," she said. Silva withdrew her spear and came up behind Maldus. She swung horizontally, and Maldus took to dodging all of Silva's attacks rather than blocking them, as they were slower than Yocun, whom he blocked with ease. Soon, he turned to attack Silva, putting her on the defense, while he still continued to block Yocun's strikes. This continued on for a few more minutes with Barton holding NulFrost on Yocun and Gillespie readying a fire spell that she couldn't throw out of fear of hitting either Yocun or Silva.

"Aeon," Gillespie finally said.

"Switch Barton!" Yocun called as she jumped back away from Maldus. Barton switched NulFrost over to Silva, who switched to the offensive.

Yocun began to same ritual with which to summon Siva, but stopped as she made the horizontal slash that came before the prolonged spin. "The fayth. I don't sense it. Shiva will not come to me."

"Why not?' Gillespie asked, concerned.

"I don't know. The fayth just isn't here." Yocun took her sword back and dove into the foray once again, Maldus blocked every attack with ease."

"What's going on?" Gillespie said, partially to herself and partially to Barton. Who is this guy? What is this guy?"

Barton answered. "The answer to the first question is he is Sir Maldus, Maester Dammen's new advisor. I wish I knew the answer to the second question. I really do, because Yocun and Silva are slowing down. I can tell. Maldus isn't skipping a beat."

This continued for a few more minutes. Even the girls could feel the fatigue setting in. They would have to retreat soon unless something happened. Something happened. Suddenly, Maldus stopped attacking and back flipped over Silva. The girls stood together, weapons ready, staring at Maldus with his evil, crooked grin. Maldus dropped the sword and created a box of ice that completely surrounded him.

The gang stood motionless, fearing what could happen if they inched closer. After a minute, Silva approached the box and placed her hand on it. It was hollow. She motioned for the others to come in and for Gillespie to melt the box. Gillespie nodded and placed her hands of fire against the box. As it melted, the group prepared themselves for another battle.

However, the box was completely empty expect for a small white crystal lying on the snow. Yocun picked it up. It didn't look magical. It didn't look special. It looked like a trinket that was so commonly sold by traveling merchants she had met while campaigning with the Crusaders. She pocketed the crystal and looked at her guardians, who were just as speechless as she. Then, she looked back to the entrance of the Macalania Woods to see that someone else was standing in front. However, he wasn't harmless. He was just dumbfounded and speechless. She, and her guardians behind her, approached the tall, lanky fellow in a black sweatshirt and blue jeans with a bag full of supplies. He was a traveling merchant, of course.

"How much of that did you see?" Yocun asked.

"All of it," he said it a powerful Cockney accent.

"What's you're name?" Silva asked.

Suddenly, as if compelled by an unseen force, he snapped out of confusion and jumped right back into his role as a merchant as if nothing had transpired. He looked at Barton directly. "Filthy! Filthy! These won't do or me name's not O'aka XX, merchant extraordinaire!"

"O'aka the who?" Barton replied back.

"Don't know me? Well, not many do. Not yet. But one day—"

"I'm sure. Whatever," Yocun said. "Look O'aka. I have a favor to ask of you. My name is Yocun. I am a summoner on a pilgrimage. I will consider purchasing some of your wares if you will go to Bevelle and request an audience with Maester Dammen. I will write you a letter that will get you access to him. I want you to tell him exactly what transpired here. Can you do that?"

"Sure," he said. "Where are you headed?"

"Guadosalam."

"Well, both cities are through the woods, so how about I join you fellows until we reach the Thunder Plains?"

"Fine," Yocun replied, "but only through the woods. Okay?"

"Okay," O'aka replied.

"Let's get going!" the brat yelled. "I'm sick and tired of this town already." With Gillespie's forceful insistence the summoner's party, with the merchant as a temporary guest, was finally inside the Macalania woods.


	6. Vines

**A/N: Before you read, I would to comment on a recent review regarding two points. The first is the fact that Silva's name is very close to Shiva's. This is true and I apologize. I can see how that would be confusing at first glance. I had not noticed when I first began to writing. Silva's name, however, is very important to her character.**

**The second is about the summoner party skipping Bevelle. The reason for this is because the Bevelle Temple is secretly operated by machina inside. I figured a secret like that would be covered up until near the summoner's end to his or her journey. That being said, I am also skipping Bevelle because I do have a major, plot-shifting event planed here much like the major, plot-shifting event of FFX. It's going to be glorious. **

Chapter 6: Vines

Now the party was five: one summoner, three guardians, and one temporary merchant. The entrance to Bevelle laid at the end of the Macalania Woods East of the entrance into the Thunder Plains, a fairly extensive stretch of land where a never-ceasing thunderstorm occurred. For now, they had their journey through the woods to worry about, and they didn't have their procession of Crusaders to field the fiends for them this time. They were on their own.

Yocun didn't care. She preferred it this way. She had ventured through the woods many times during and even before her stint with the Crusaders. Barton and Silva were knowledgeable of the area as well. O'aka did not appear to fear for his life. He did not appear to be a fighter, but a proficient runner at the very least. Gillespie was the only one of the group to have never ventured out of Macalania since arriving when she was six.

The fayth had come back to Yocun. She didn't summon Shiva, but she could feel that the fayth had returned and she could summon Shiva if she needed it in the woods, knowing full well that sinspawn could be in the area even if Sin was on the other side of world. Sinspawn liked to hide in the trees until the moment was right.

The summoner party kept this in mind, but they didn't shy away from dealing with the fields that permeated in the woods. The lizards were more prominent than before, and it kept Yocun's sword arm occupied since entering. The armored enemies came by the droves, and Barton had to keep Silva's endurance up so she could take them down before they overcame her. Gillespie did her part by fielding the blue elements. Barton did not say anything negative towards her and kept the NulTide up while saying neither a positive nor a negative word about the bratty guardian.

O'aka decided to bring the journey into a conversation. "So you're a new party on the road, right? Straight out of Macalania? Only three guardians?"

"Yes, O'aka," Yocun replied. "I was born and raised in Macalania, but I owe my skill in battle to the Crusaders. I would not be where I am right now if it weren't for what I learned there."

"I thought summoners had to priestesses and nuns," the merchant replied.

"They normally are," Silva fielded the question. Barton rolled his eyes out of her view since he knew she couldn't resists giving a speech about the trivial knowledge she knew. It didn't really matter. Silva knew Barton well enough by that point to know he would roll his eyes. "Summoners are generally people of the cloth, but that does not mean they must be. There is nothing in Yevon law that prohibits anyone outside of the temple to vanquish Sin. After all, High Summoner Ohalland was a blitzball player before taking up the mantle of a summoner. Of course, do you know the first person to vanquish Sin after having completed a customary pilgrimage?"

"Lord Gandof," O'aka replied correctly. "I know him well. You probably won't believe this, but my ancestor, O'aka I, was guardian to the vanquisher of Sin himself. That's why the men in my family are named after him. It's an important page in O'aka history."

"Is that true?" Barton asked.

"It is true," Silva said. "I knew I recognized the name O'aka from the history books when you introduced yourself back in Macalania. I just couldn't put my finger on it until you mentioned historic pilgrimages. It's a shame that much of Gandof's pilgrimage was been lost in history. You wouldn't happen to have any information about, would you?"

"I'm afraid not," O'aka replied. "After twenty generations, the apocryphal stories begin to lose their accuracy. I'm afraid I don't know any more about my famous ancestor than you do. I probably won't even tell my son about it. I know the man existed, but I certainly don't believe any of the stories that my father told me. I think the truth ended a long time ago."

"That is a shame," Gillespie replied sarcastically. "Why is the past so important to you guys? It's not like it determines your future."

"I disagree. Your past is intrinsically tied to your actions in the future." Silva replied.

"Silva!" Yocun yelled.

Yocun was too late to stop it. Gillespie exploded. "Oh yeah!? Well, you can keep your lousy opinions. At least you have a past to shape your future. I don't even have one. Does that mean I don't have a future either? I guess not!" Gillespie ran off before anyone could say anything.

"She is a spoiled brat," Barton mumbled.

"I apologize," Silva said to the group. "I had forgotten that she is an orphan. I didn't mean to offend her."

"It's all right," Yocun assured her. "I'll go get her."

Yocun went ahead of the group to where Gillespie had run off. She couldn't have gone that far, could she? Gillespie wasn't on the main path and, even angry, Yocun didn't believe that she would have ventured through the trees. Fiends lived in bunches there.

"I'm up here," Gillespie called down. Yocun looked up and saw the girl sitting a fairly high branch, about fifteen feet in the tree, with a hurt look on her face that she wouldn't admit to having. "I'm sorry I ran off, but Silva shouldn't have said what she said."

"I know. Silva is sorry. If you come down, Silva will apologize to you directly and we can get going."

"I don't feel like coming down yet," Gillespie replied.

"Okay. Take as much time as you need." Yocun realized it. Even though she was the summoner and Gillespie was the guardian, she was still spoiling her. They needed to keep moving. They needed to get to the Thunder Plains as soon as they could so they could spend the night at the Crusader's lodge there. Still, she couldn't bring herself to demand that Gillespie do anything. Despite the urgency, she was still under the brat's control.

Yocun just stood leaning against a tree. The rest of the group was still waiting a few yards away, and she knew that they would be disappointed in her. She looked up again and expected to see Gillespie sitting there with a sullen look on her face. She did see that, but that is not all she saw. Behind Gillespie, there were two vines slowly creeping towards her so silently that the girl did not even notice. The vines were coming through the trees, but since Ochu were not native to the Macalania woods, they had to have been coming from a sinspawn.

"Gillespie," she said calmly, but urgently. "Don't make any sudden move, but I want you to cast a fire spell around your hands." Now, her face of despair had turned into fear. Slowly, she put her hands together and invoked the spell for fire. "Okay, now there are vines that are slowly coming down on both sides of you. When I tell you to, I want you to grab both vines simultaneously without moving your body. I need you to rely on me to grab to the sides of you without turning. You won't have time to turn. Nod slowly if you understand." Gillespie nodded.

"Good. Where I tell you to, you're going to extend your arms as far as possible and take hold of the vines." Gillespie kept her hands at the ready, waiting for Yocun's command. "Now!" Gillespie shut her eyes hard and extended her arms. She took hold of the right vine without problem, but she only grazed the left vine as it evaded her hand.

"Drop down!" Yocun commanded. She slid off the branch just as the free vine stuck where she sat. The fifteen-foot fall was slowed by the fact that Gillespie kept her right hand on the vine as she hit the ground. Yocun charged at full speed and sliced the vine just above where Gillespie held it. The second vine retreated back into the trees now with Yocun standing guard over her young guardian.

"What happened?" Barton said as he came through the trees.

"Sinspawn," Yocun replied.

"You should have called us," Silva replied as she helped both her and Gillespie off the ground. "A summoner without her guardians is no different with the dead. We won't leave you alone for a second again."

"I'm not a child, Silva," she retorted. "Regardless, the sinspawn is still out there. It's injured and it's pissed off. We need to hunt it down before it takes us out or worse, take out the first unsuspecting group of travelers it finds because it's so angry."

"I thought sinspawns weren't capable of thought," Barton said.

"I've told you once. I've told you a thousand times," Silva told him. "I'm not going to explain how pyreflies work again." Barton scoffed, and Silva scoffed back at him sarcastically.

"How are we going to lure the beast out?" O'aka asked.

"I'm not sure yet, but it's angry specifically at me for cutting its vine and at Gillespie for evading it's poisonous attack. We're not going anywhere until we have a plan."

"We need bait," Gillespie said. "I'll be the bait."

"You don't need to do that," Yocun replied.

"I want to," she said. "We wouldn't have even run into this guy had I not run off. And I was so useless earlier. A summoner had to save her own guardian from a sinspawn. Pathetic!" Yocun did not have a reply, neither wanting to but the girl in danger nor to argue against her.

"Sounds like it's settled," Barton said. "Gillespie will be the bait. With her big mouth, that sinspawn will come running out just to shut her up." She blew him a raspberry.

"It'll stay in the trees and attack with its vines," Yocun said, "So Barton, I want you to put a protective shield around Gillespie the second you see the vines coming through the trees. Silva, you'll be with Barton. When Barton puts the protective shield up, the vine will hit it. At that point, the vine should be momentarily stunned. Throw the spear and impale the vine into the ground. At that point, the beast should come out, and I think it'll be a good opportunity for me to get better acquainted with my aeon."

"Sounds good," O'aka said, "Lucky for you guys I travel through these woods all the time. I know a great place where the trees circle around an empty spot. Gillespie could stand in the middle and we could surround inconspicuously."

"That would be fantastic, O'aka," Yocun replied. "It must have been the grace of Yevon to have brought you to us when he did."

O'aka's smile was beaming as he had not been used to such compliments. He led the group to the circle and they all took their position. Gillespie, with the vine in hand, stood in the middle of the circle. Barton and Silva stood to the west while O'aka hid with Yocun to the east.

"I have a question," Barton whispered to Silva. "Since you seem to know so much about fiends, how is it that the vine hasn't disappeared? If you kill a fiend, it disperses into pyreflies, right? Well, isn't that piece of vine Yocun cut technically dead?"

"That would require the vine to have been alive in the first place, Barton," she replied. "You still don't appear to be understanding the nature of fiends, so allow me to break it down for you as simply as I can. Fiends are not animals. Fiends are not living creatures. They are the exact opposite of living creatures. They are composed of the dead. Just because a piece has been removed doesn't make it any less existent. Humans are accustomed to saying that we "kill" fiends because it is the simplest way to describe it, but that is not actually what we are doing. What we are doing is systematically disrupting the connection of the pyreflies until they can no longer manifest together in the form of a fiend. Pyreflies are the embodiments of the dead, and you can't kill what is already dead."

"So the pyreflies that have created that vine have not been disrupted? How come?"

"Disconnection does not mean disruption. The pyreflies within that piece of vine know that the pyreflies that are creating the actual fiend are still together. All Yocun did was disrupt a few pyreflies. Our job is to disrupt enough that it can't stay together. What we see is the fiend apparently dying."

"So how many do we have to disrupt?"

"Don't worry about it," Silva finally said, which struck Barton as odd. She had never turned down an opportunity to dispense what she knew. "You are the white mage. Stick to that. Learn that. When was the last time you killed a fiend, anyways?"

"During my last campaign as a Crusader," he lied. Silva remained silent.

Gillespie stood in the middle of the circle, anticipating the return of the sinspawn. It wasn't going to get the jump on her again. She already had the next few moves planned out. As soon as the vine was impaled, she would ready an ice spell to freeze and vine and subsequently the sinspawn itself as the ice traveled down the vine and back to the body of the creature. The only problem was that the creature was not showing up. "Come on!" she yelled. "I don't have all day you miserable fiend! Show yourself! You want a piece of me and I want a piece of you, so why don't we just get this done and over with?!"

Gillespie rested her voice. She could feel the back of her throat becoming so dry that it was hard to keep her voice high. She sighed. It didn't look like the creature was going to come back.

Just as Gillespie was ready to give up, the vine, same injured vine that Yocun had cut earlier, came through the trees towards Gillespie. "Protect!" Barton yelled. The vine hit the unseen protect barrier, stunning it just like Yocun said it would. Silva did not throw her spear. No one realized it until it was too late. Only one vine attacked Gillespie, leaving the other vine unaccounted for. By the time Barton turned around, he was only able to catch a glimpse of the second vine pulling Silva through the trees.

"Yocun!" he yelled. "We forgot about the second vine! It took Silva!"

"Keep Gillespie protected," she said forcefully as she exited her hiding place with the merchant close beside her. "I'll follow the vine." Yocun disappeared through the trees that took Silva as Barton exited his hiding place and stood behind Gillespie with the protective shield now around both of them.

"Its physical attacks can't get through, but you can still cast your magic against it," he told Gillespie.

"Good," she said. "Gillespie will have her revenge." Gillespie cast the lighting spell and began to fire small shots of lighting from the tips of her fingers against the vine. Barton couldn't even fathom the extent of the sinspawn's vines since it could carry Silva away why still holding him and Gillespie at bay. The girl didn't care. She was just having fun torturing the sinspawn. Lighting shot after lightning shot, the vine writhed in pain, but did not disperse.

"I've had enough fun with you," the sadistic girl said. "I'm ending this now." She changed to a fire spell and focused it at the tip of the vine. The fire shot out from Gillespie's hands and quickly engulfed the entire vine back through the woods until the two guardians were unable to see where the fire led.

"Let's go," Barton ordered. "We need to catch up to the others."

Meanwhile, Yocun and O'aka followed the path through the trees. In its effort to take Silva as quickly as possible, the vine made an obvious path of broken branches and fallen leaves to assist the two in following its tracks.

Yocun and O'aka arrived to the source of the vine: a green quadruped sinspawn with vine protruding from its back. It appeared to be very ingrained into the soil, explaining its ability to reach even to the farthest reaches of the woods without moving. Yocun took the fact that she only saw one vine as proof that Gillespie and Barton had successfully destroyed the other one.

Against a tree behind the sinspawn was Silva, moving, but clearly very injured. Yocun began to walk quickly towards Silva with her sword in hand, but jumped back as soon as the vine came down. The creature itself would not move, so Yocun determined its power came from its connection to the soil.

"I need to uproot it," she said aloud. "Shiva! I summon you!" Yocun slashed her sword as she did before for the villagers and as before, Shiva came down in a haze of snow and ice with a sword in hand. However, this left Yocun without a weapon. "Shiva, the sinspawn in deeply rooted into the soil. Do whatever it takes to uproot it."

Shiva immediately went and work and took hold of the sinspawn from both sides and began to pull it up from the ground slowly. The sinspawn attacked back with its remaining vine, but the damage was minimal and the aeon was immune to the poison.

At this very moment, Gillespie and Barton came through nearby trees and joined Yocun and O'aka as the approached the injured Silva. She wasn't moving very much and her eyes were shut from the pain. Yocun lifted Silva's shirt to see that the vine had wrapped itself around her stomach, leaving a bruise that traverse her entire midsection as well as cuts that were no doubt infected with the creature's poison.

"Move," Barton ordered. Barton took hold of Silva and placed his hand on the injured midsection. "Esuna," he whispered. He shut his eyes and forced out as much effort as he could muster, but it did not appear to do anything. He said the spell again, but there was no change from last time. Silva was still groaning in pain and the poison was still spreading through her body.

"Here," O'aka said. Barton turned his head to see O'aka offering him a hypodermic needle. "Its an antidote. On the house. Take it." Barton was reluctant to take the antidote until Silva groaned once more. He took the needle and carefully injected her where the vine had cut her. The poison was gone and Silva stopped groaning in pain.

Behind them, the aeon was finally successful in uprooting the fiend as it toppled over on its side. Yocun returned to her duty as leader. "Barton. O'aka. Stay with Silva. Gillespie, you're with me."

Yocun and Gillespie ran to where Shiva held the sinspawn down on the ground. With its remaining vine, it attacked Yocun, but the attack was easily evaded.

"This is for almost killing me," Gillespie said as she began to fire rapid shots from his finger against the creature from the left side until its body was completely charred. "This is for almost killing Silva," she said as she did the same thing to the right side of its body. Gillespie changed to a water spell and shot directly to the ground until it propelled her into the air and hovering carefully over the sinspawn. Yocun dismissed Shiva just as the mage readied another, more powerful fire spell. "And this is just because I'm pissed off as all hell!" Gillespie released the stream of fire until it engulfed the creature. She didn't stop when she saw pyreflies coming through the flames. She wasn't satisfied until her feet had touched the ground, as she could not longer sustain the black magic spell.

The battle was over and the danger had subsided. The girls looked to see Silva standing up from her spot against the tree. Barton had been keeping a steady cure spell on her and it had finally taken its full effect. "I regret not being of help," Silva apologized as she led the group back onto the main road. "I allowed myself to be captured. I wasn't being vigilant. It won't happen again."

With the group now back on the main road and with no sinspawn to impede them, they only walked another hour until arriving at the end of the Macalania Woods, a walk that was completed in almost complete silence. Barton kept silent out of shame for being unable to properly cast the Esuna spell. Yocun sensed this and wished to comfort him, but knew of no words with which to do so with. Gillespie kept silent out of recognition that everyone else was keeping quiet, as was O'aka. Silva, although partially disappointed in herself, kept quiet, as that was just the person she was. To the East was the holy city of Bevelle while to the South laid the Thunder Plains.

"This is where we part ways, I suppose," O'aka said. "I'm glad that I was able to be of service for the time that I was with you guys." Barton sighed despondently as he said this.

"You assistance will not be forgotten, O'aka," Yocun assured him as she handed him a letter. "This letter will grant you an immediate audience with Maester Dammen himself. You will tell him what occurred in Macalania. Understood?"

"Understood, Lady Yocun," he said with a smile before turning and heading towards Bevelle.

The summoner's party turned their sights onto the Thunder Plains and Gillespie finally asked the question she had been meaning to ask all day. "Bevelle has a temple, doesn't it?" Everyone else nodded. "So why aren't we going to that one first?"

"It's tradition," Yocun said. "Summoners always go to Bevelle last. The Maesters of Yevon have top-secret information to bestow only to seasoned summoners who they deem capable of defeating Sin. That is why Bevelle is the last stop of all pilgrimages before going to the Calm Lands, even for summoners who start out of Bevelle."

"Doesn't make any sense to me," Gillespie commented. "Why can't they just tell us now?"

"No point in complaining," Yocun replied. "It's an age old tradition, older than the Maesters themselves. It's not like they could change anything."

"They could if they tried," she continued to complain. Yocun only shot her a smile as she led her guardians into the gloomy atmosphere of the Thunder Plains.


	7. Practice

Chapter 7: Practice

The group was back down to four as they exited the woods and found themselves in the never-ceasing thunderstorm. Barton wasn't going to stop moping, or so it appeared to the rest of the group. Yocun was worried that he would be unable to perform his duties correctly should the need arise if he continued to mope as he did. Gillespie didn't really care about his mood, and while Silva seemed to acknowledge it, it didn't appear that she was planning to do anything about it.

Gillespie, meanwhile, had never been in a location more fun. Ignoring the obvious danger, Gillespie was the first to run out from the trees and to the safety of the first lightning rod tower without giving a second thought to her safety. Yocun's heart was beating like a drum every millisecond that the girl was exposed to the rain. As soon as the next lightning bolt struck, she ran out and stopped next to Gillespie.

"You can't do that!"

"Do what?" she asked innocently. Even her eyes matched her voice, and Yocun would have been putty in her hands has Barton and Silva not arrived right behind her at that second.

"You can't just run out without thinking in the Thunder Plains. It's dangerous. You can't use your magic to protect yourself against nature like you would a fiend. You have to be careful in order to avoid lightning strikes."

"Okay," she said after a few seconds of silence. "I can see your point there, but I have a point as well, too. Can't Barton just throw up a NulShock?"

"I'm not going to deplete my own energy just for the sake of your fun and games, brat," he said sullenly as he looked out into the darkness. He just wasn't the same Barton when he was beating himself up for something that had long since been forgiven.

"Fine," she said with a defeated growl. "It wasn't meant to be only for fun, you know! It could have been practice. You said you couldn't throw up a Nul on more than one person at a time back in Macalania. This could be a good time to practice that. Just saying.

"Well stop saying things. No one cares."

"Barton!" Yocun commanded. "Stop it!" Another lightning strike shot through the air and Barton immediately dashed out of the unwelcome atmosphere and under the next lighting rod tower. He kept himself at least one tower in front of the rest of the group until they all arrived at the Crusader's lodge. He ignored their calls to wait for them and simply entered the building when he saw they were just about to arrive safely.

"Hypocrite!" Gillespie said loudly as they approached the door. "He calls me a brat, but just look at him. I hope he doesn't think he can just get away with throwing a childish tantrum like that."

"I'll talk to him," Yocun said as she took hold of the knob.

She swung the door open to see Barton standing at the front counter having been roped into a conversation with a young platinum blond in Chocobo Knight attire that he clearly did not want to be a part of. She looked so happy, but the kind of happy that seemed manufactured. "Oh my Yevon!" she said as they came into her view. "Who would have thought I would run into you guys on the road? I know, right? I like tried to talk to you guys in the Calm Lands, but that Sinspawn thingy kind of ruined that. Oh! By the way, I have some great news!"

The girl was Regimen Commander Kiltia of the Chocobo Knights and no one wanted to hear her keep talking. Gillespie was meeting her for the first time and even she wished she would just stop talking. Her voice was so high-pitched and grating and with her "Oh my Yevon" rich girl vocabulary peppering her speech, it was enough to wish she wasn't a member of the Chocobo Knights and it really made Silva wish she wasn't about to say what she was going to say.

"So anyways, after you guys took down the Sinspawn, Maester Dammen and that Maldus guy totally invited my back to Bevelle. I know, right? Well, I'm thinking that I did something wrong or something. I thought I was like getting fired or something. I know, right? I couldn't have been like more off. Maester Dammen totally nominated me to take up the position of Chocobo Knight Captain until Silva returns. Bitchin, right?"

It wasn't bitchin', at least not to Silva. Silva could remember several weeks back when she met with an envoy from Bevelle shortly after being offered the position as guardian to Yocun. She remembered specifically creating a shortlist of candidates to temporarily replace her a Chocobo Knight captain until her return and specifically mentioning which one of those were he preferred choices. Most importantly, she remembered that Kiltia was purposefully omitted from the list.

"What a turn of events this has been," Barton said with a smirk. Now he was dealing with his anger with witty sarcastic comments. "I'm going to get some sleep." Barton departed to his room in the back. Gillespie, trying to ignore Kiltia, had been staring at the pretty rain through the window.

"Gillespie," Yocun commanded softly. "We should get some sleep, too. She took the girl by the hand and led her into the back. Normally, Gillespie would pull away, but she was glad to be as far away from Kiltia as she could.

"They don't seem very happy for me," Kiltia noticed. "You totally don't seem very happy for me, either." Silva didn't reply. She was still mentally processing. "Okay, well, if you don't want to congratulate me, then I guess I won't tell you why I'm here."

"Speak," she demanded, and a smile grew on Kiltia's face.

Barton shut himself in his room all night, not even letting Yocun in to talk with him. Her concern was beginning to turn into annoyance the longer he refused to talk about his actions in Macalania. Gillespie was sound asleep quickly, but Yocun stayed awake long enough to come to the conclusion that Silva had not gone to her room that night.

Yocun was the first to wake in the morning. The brat was sprawled on the bed next to her, snoring loudly with no intent to wake. Barton would wake soon with no intent to interact with his travelling companions. Yocun exited to the lobby where the desk clerk greeted her. "Good morning, Lady Yocun. Your guardian Silva left a message for you last night. She said not to worry about her. She was with Kiltia and would meet up with you and the other guardians at the entrance to Guadosalam by the end of the day. She also insisted that you stay with the other guardians until she returned."

"Same old Silva," she said. "She'll treat me like a child even when she's not here." Yocun had no reason to worry about her. Silva was an adult with years of Crusader training. However, it put Yocun in a position with nothing to do for the rest of day until an idea struck as it came running loudly from the back rooms.

"Yocun!" Gillespie shrieked as she came walking out from the back. "The idiot woke me up!"

"We're on a pilgrimage, brat," he told her. "It's not okay for you to sleep in all the time, anymore." She just stuck her tongue out at him.

"I just got a bright idea," Yocun said sternly. Barton brushed it off as if it meant nothing, but Gillespie knew to expect something crazy. "Silva is out for the day, and that means I have to deal with you two and your constant bickering. I can't support your constant bickering, not throughout this entire pilgrimage. Barton, you're upset with yourself, and I can understand why, but I'm not going to let that impede us. Gillespie, you're a brat. You know that, and I'm not going to let them take over this pilgrimage. Am I understood?"

"Yes Yocun," Gillespie replied immediately. She knew the protocol. She knew not to mess with the summoner when she was like this.

"Barton?"

"Yes, Lady Yocun," he replied shakily.

"Good," she said. "Now follow me. You two are going to work together, and I must thank Gillespie for the suggestion. Barton, you're going to learn to cast Nul on more than one person. Gillespie, you're going to help him." The guardians grabbed their Crusader-provided breakfast and hurriedly followed Yocun out into the stormy perma-night at the first lightning rod tower south of the lodge.

"Do we have to do this now?" Barton questioned.

"No time like the present," she said happily. "Okay, to start off; let's practice going against that larva over there. Larvae float, and they attack with electricity. Your objective is to cover Gillespie while she casts the water spell in order to defeat it, but since that doesn't actually teach you anything, Gillespie will instead alternate between the water spell and the lighting spell. The problem here is that Larvae absorb electricity. We'll be here all day unless you throw a NulShock on the Larva, too. Ready?"

Barton wasn't ready, but he wasn't going to tell Yocun that. He simply nodded and Gillespie took that as her cue to startle the fiend with the simple water spell. The Larva spun around and took notice of Gillespie, who stood by herself under a lightning rod tower away from the other two. As it started to float closer to her, she alternated to the lightning spell. "You'd better learn this quick," she muttered under her breath. "I don't have the energy to cast magic here all day for some idiot."

Gillespie fired a lightning spell and breathed a sigh of relief as the shot cracked on the invisible NulShock barrier and dispersed in different directions. Now, the Larva readied its counterattack, which also bounced off Gillespie. So far, Barton was doing well, but all Barton was really doing was switching the target of the one NulShock he was casting. He hadn't learned anything yet.

Gillespie went back to the water spell just as the Larva fired another lightning spell. The attacks travelled through each other and while the Larvae received another powerful splash of water, the lighting once again bounced off the invisible barrier.

Now, however, both of them were readying a lightning spell. In seconds, two different sets of lightning spells were travelling through the air, but Barton only managed to prevent one. Gillespie was safe, but the Larva was suddenly rejuvenated by the lightning blast.

"Way to go, moron!" she yelled.

"Watch it!" he warned. "I might choose to keep the NulShock on the Larva next time!"

"You're not even trying," Yocun noticed. As she spoke, Gillespie fired the next water spell and Barton kept the NulShock on the brat. "You're going to have to try harder, because there are a couple of Melusine lizard fiends over there and if Gillespie doesn't end this quickly, their attention might be caught."

It was time for the double lightning blast again. This time, Barton tried to remember his training. Barton took two deep breaths and remembers what he learned about splitting the magic power within him to two targets.

It worked, mostly. Just as the lighting strikes were about to reach their targets, Barton's double NulShock came up, but only for a brief second or two. The residual shock still travelled, injuring Gillespie a tad and healing the Larva just a little bit.

"That better not happen again!" she yelled.

"That was better," Yocun said, "but it looks like the Melusine have decided to join the party. I'm going to meet them in the clearing, but that means I will be susceptible to nature. I can take the lizards, but you need to protect me from the lightning. Understood?"

"That wasn't part of the lesson plan."

"The lesson plans change," she said sternly. "You must learn to adapt quickly, or you'll find yourself on the Farplane. I will ask again. Understood?"

"Yes, Lady Yocun." He replied. Yocun nodded shortly and ran out the meet the lizards. Gillespie caught sight of her just as she prepared to fire her water spell. The Larva fired its lighting and Barton threw up the NulShock. Barton veered to his right and immediately transferred the NulShock to Yocun just in time to protect her from the lighting blast. Yocun met up with the lizards and kept her sword arm ready for any sudden movements. They weren't moving. They were waiting for Yocun to become distracted by another lighting blast. Gillespie readied the next lightning spell as Yocun stared off the lizards. Barton prepared all of his energy on Gillespie and the Larva, but a faraway clap of thunder reminded him that Yocun's life was on the line, as well.

Gillespie and the Larva fired electricity at each other and Barton managed to keep NulShock up for a few seconds on both of them, but a flash of lightning came down before he could regroup his strength and transfer it back to Yocun. He spun around quickly to see her still staring down at the lizards and a shattered ground a few feet next to her.

"I really hope you knew that one wasn't going to hit me, Barton," she said coyly. Her relaxed nature brought a nice sense of calmness to the situation, and it made Barton suddenly feel a little better about himself.

Gillespie was back on the water spell, and Barton threw up the NulShock on Gillespie and Yocun simultaneously. As the lightning bounced off Yocun, one of Melusine lizards took the opportunity and lunged at the summoner. A swift slash, however, ripped the fiend asunder and the pyreflies were all that remained.

"We've got trouble on the horizon!" Gillespie shouted. "Armored dragon fiend at two o'clock!"

"Kusariqqu," Yocun continued. "Not my department. It's armored, so only Silva's spear can cut through its hide. Our best bet is to hold it off until Gillespie can finish off the Larva. It may not be much, but the dragon fiend does have a weakness to water."

As the Kusariqqu inched closer to Yocun, Barton threw up the NulShock on Gillespie and the Larva as they fired lightning at each other. Baton took the NulShock off of the Larva and kept it on Gillespie. It was becoming easier each time. He took his free hand and threw the NulShock on Yocun as the Kusariqqu came just inches away from Yocun's left side. The remaining Melusine lizard was still staring her down. The Kusariqqu fired off a shot of lightning from its mouth and the lizard pounced. Yocun ignored the lightning as it bounced off of her and took down the other lizard. At the same time, Gillespie fired the last water spell, and the Larva writhed in pain before dispersing into pyreflies as well.

"My sword will do almost nothing. Gillespie. Switch!" With those words, Gillespie ran out into the clearing and Yocun took her place under the lightning rod tower. "It's going to attack physically, Barton. You need to through up a NulShock against nature, but you're going to have to keep a constant protect on Gillespie as well."

"Will it never end!" he complained. Barton took another deep breath and threw a NulShock up. Then, another deep breath and threw the protect shield up. The Kusariqqu began to ram the shield, and with every hit, Barton's control over the shield worsened. On Yocun's orders, Gillespie ceased firing the lightning shots and began to flow a steady stream of water against the fiend as it continued to ram the shield. Barton syphoned power from the NulShock to keep the protect shield up, but had to immediately transfer it back for a lightning strike coming from the sky.

"It's getting weaker," Gillespie noted. "Just a few more seconds." Barton didn't have a few more seconds. The fiend rammed the shield one more time and it shattered. Barton barely had enough energy to keep the NulShock up. Gillespie's heart began to race and with it, her adrenaline kicked in. Just as the fiend prepared for another ram, Gillespie's strength grew and she was able to delay the fiend's movement with a more powerful water strike until it finally hit the ground defeated. Slowly but surely, the fiend began to dissipating into pyreflies.

"That's it, right? We're done, right?" Barton's questions were more like pleas to a higher power, as if Yocun had the ability to control the fiends and when they attacked. To her, it seemed that they had taken care of the fiends in the area. If there were any more, they weren't planning on attacking any time soon. Their "series of impulses" as Silva put it considered the situation too dangerous to get into.

"I think we're safe," he told him. Gillespie had by now returned to the safety of the tower and was seated next to Yocun catching her breath. "However, you lost control of your shields at the very end there. One day, we're going to have to pick up where he left off."

"Uh, I almost got my head knocked off out there!" Gillespie yelled with the little breath that she had regained while rest. A few seconds later, she continued. "If my water spell hadn't gotten stronger at the last second, I would have been a goner."

"Watera," Yocun said. "That's the official term for it. It's a second level black magic water spell. It's just a stronger version of the basic water spell. That's what it looked like to me. Silva's the expert, obviously. Speaking of which, I think it's about time to meet up with her at Guadosalam. Let's go, guardians."

Yocun led the way. With Barton's energy depleted, they took the safe route and followed the path from tower to tower between lightning intervals. The trip took them twice as long as it could have taken, but they made it across and the entrance to Guadosalam was visible. Oddly enough, Silva was also visible standing under the tower closest to the entrance. After the next lighting, the group hurried over to where she stood.

"Why are you still out here?" Yocun inquired. "You didn't actually have to wait for us out here."

"Yes I did," Silva replied. "You see those two Guados standing guard at the entrance?" Yocun and the guardians swiveled their heads to see whom she was speaking about. "There were three when I arrived, and they wouldn't let me in until I received clearance to do so. I told them I was a guardian on a pilgrimage, but that wasn't enough for them to let me in. One of them went inside to grab his superior. That was about an hour ago, I think. I don't believe they're taking our pilgrimage very seriously."

"It would appear that they're taking the protection of the homeland a little too seriously," Barton said aloud. "So what do we do now? Pull out our sleeping bags? Start a campfire?"

"We wait," Yocun suggested. Gillespie rolled her eyes. She was not looking forward to that answer. "They can't keep us out her forever. In the meantime, I think Silva could keep us entertained with story time. What did you and Kiltia do all day?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, so I might as well go ahead and tell you, right?"


End file.
